Surrender Reflex
by nissanity
Summary: A family divided finds that the first casualty of conflict is a loss of innocence. AU, Mature Content, VivioXEinhart, NanoFate
1. Chapter 1 - A Punishment to Some

**A/N: **Not like I need another story to have to update or anything, but I created this one to poke around at Vivio and Einhart a little bit when I feel the urge to. It's in line with the _Vivid_ universe minus the magic, and with MMA (mixed-martial arts) instead. Vivio X Einhart with background NanoFate - - AU, mature content.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

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******~Prologue~**

_Dear Fate,_

_It's been one year since we last spoke. One year since you walked away without a goodbye. Everyday the grief of losing you in my life lessens, but somehow everything around me still reminds me of you. _

_There's something I want to tell you - - You are the last image I see when I fall asleep every night, and the first person I think of when I wake each morning. It's funny how these words can come so easily now that you are gone, isn't it?_

_What's left behind is an empty shell. Once full and complete, I have since become imperfect and unbalanced. _

_I miss you, but also do not blame you for leaving. I will soon throw this letter away, the same as I have done with the dozens of letters before. I write these because, for the briefest of moments, it feels like we are together again. Somehow. _

_Please just know... I am still here._

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******SURRENDER REFLEX**

**by : ~Nissanity~**

******Chapter 1 – ****__****A Punishment to Some**

_~Flashback, 9 years prior~_

"Good job, Vivio! Make sure you don't close your eyes when you strike the bag, okay?"

Vivio nodded solemnly and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Okay, Fate-mama," she replied.

Fate reset the kickboxing pad against her thigh and knelt down to brace herself for impact. Vivio resumed practicing side kicks as Fate studied her form closely. After a set of ten, they paused for Vivio to catch her breath before they resumed ten kicks with the other leg.

"You're so much better than I was at your age," Fate said as she lowered the bag.

Vivio's head shot up excitedly. "Really?!"

Fate placed her hand on Vivio's head and ruffled her hair affectionately. "Um-hmm! Now, let's do some push-ups together before we call it quits, okay?"

Vivio got into the push-up position on the ground and smiled at Fate beside her before lowering her body to the ground and back up.

"1, 2, 3 – one! 1, 2, 3 – two...!" they chanted together.

**oOOOo**

_~Present Day~_

"Pick up your feet, Vivio!" Signum directed. "Don't let her get around you."

Vivio wiped her nose with her thumb quickly as she studied her opponent across from her in the ring. The students at Signum's gym were all hanging on the ropes and cheering mostly for her, while she and Rio circled each other near the center of the ring.

Rio made her move, throwing two straight jabs at Vivio's face. Vivio dodged them, and placed a knee directly into her opponent's abdomen.

The dark-haired girl stumbled forward with the wind knocked out of her, and Vivio placed her hands under her thighs and lifted up, sending them both to the mat. Vivio immediately side-mounted her and twisted Rio's arm to attempt submission. Rio resisted for a few seconds before tapping out on the mat with her free hand.

"Alright, that's good!" Signum yelled. Vivio stood up from her position above Rio and removed the mouthguard from her upper teeth. She made her way to the corner of the ropes to discuss the match with Signum, while Vita sauntered to the center of the ring to hover over Rio.

"That was fucking terrible," Vita commented over the downed fighter.

"I know," Rio replied quickly between gasps.

Vita tapped her on the forehead with her finger. "You're really going to let that lush beat you?" she continued to taunt.

Heterochromatic eyes flashed as she glanced over her shoulder at the offending comment. Signum grabbed Vivio by the chin and pulled her head back around to look at her again.

"Focus, alright? It wouldn't bother you so much if it weren't true, now would it?" Signum commented.

Vivio took a sip of water from her squeeze bottle and started exiting the ring through the ropes. "I didn't know this match was doubling as an AA meeting, Signum?"

"Yeah well, your performance suffers when you're hungover. It wastes everyone's time."

"Do you want to give me some pointers on technique, or just nag me like my mother?" Vivio countered.

Vita stood up angrily. "You should respect your mother, Vivio," she scolded.

Vivio did not acknowledge the statement, and instead removed her gloves and hand wrapping in silence. She threw them in her duffel bag and slid the strap over her shoulder.

"We have someone coming from the sister gym to spar with you next week, Vivio. You need more of a challenge," Signum told her.

Rio was finally beginning to sit up in the middle of the ring, rubbing her sore arm and shoulder as Vivio looked over at her competition.

"I'll be here," Vivio replied.

Signum watched with crossed arms as Vivio began walking to the back of the gym. "You should really consider entering the tournament next month," she added.

Vivio only saluted above her head as she turned the corner and pushed open the door to the dressing room. She loudly dropped the duffel bag on the wooden bench, and opened the door to her locker to retrieve her t-shirt and jeans from inside.

"Such bullshit..." she muttered as she threw her gym shoes into her locker loudly.

"I couldn't agree more," a soft voice came from beside the locker door.

Vivio closed the door slowly and glanced to her left where the voice originated. "Are you here to convince me otherwise, Sieg?"

The raven-haired girl leaned her back against the locker door next to Vivio's, and rested her hands behind her.. "No. It makes it that much easier to win the tournament again this year."

Vivio smiled and stepped closer to the her. "Well, you're welcome then," she said sweetly.

A hand found the small of Vivio's back and pulled her closer. "What are you doing tonight?" Sieg asked her.

"I dunno, what are _you_ doing tonight?" Vivio countered as she playfully walked two fingers up the middle of her chest.

"A-Ah, there are bouts at the Nakajima's tonight," she responded in a flustered tone as she watched Vivio's fingers make their way back down her stomach. "A-And Nove is throwing a party after. Her parents are out of town tonight."

"I'll go," Vivio responded as she pulled away from her to grab the bag from the bench. "What time?"

"The fights start at eight, but you might want to show up a little before. Hey, what about your mom?" Sieg then asked, reaching out and grabbing Vivio's hand before she could walk away.

Vivio fingers made their way to the back of Sieg's neck and pulled her close to her. "What she doesn't know can't hurt her, right?" she whispered in her ear. Sieg pulled back to look at her skeptically.

Vivio let go and began walking away from her towards the dressing room door to leave. "Don't worry, she'll be at work tonight. I'll see you around eight, okay?"

Sieg received a small wave as a goodbye before Vivio exited the dressing room and started on her journey home.

**oOOOo**

"_Have to work late. I won't be home until later tonight. There is some food in the fridge, you just have to heat it up. ~Love, Mama_"

Vivio threw the note on the counter and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. She spotted the vegan lasagna in the glass dish that her mother had prepared at some unknown point, which was wrapped neatly with wax paper and aluminum foil. She opted to pass on food for the time being, knowing that most of her daily calorie intake would probably come in liquid form later that evening.

Her hand raised the remote to the television to turn it on, and she sat down on the couch in a huff. After a minute of aimlessly flipping through the channels and finding nothing of interest, Vivio decided to get a head-start on the party instead. She walked to the kitchen cabinet that contained her mother's stash of vodka for a distraction.

"_Not that she ever drinks it anyway,_" Vivio assured herself as she mixed it with a bottle of diet soda she found in the fridge. It tasted disgusting to her, but she knew it would help her pace herself so that she wasn't completely hammered before heading back out that evening.

Television became more interested the more Vivio sipped the drink, just as everything else did when she decided to 'let go and enjoy life', as she put it. She glanced around at the empty house and fought back memories of happier times, when both her mothers would crowd around her on that very same couch. It was common that they would watch animated movies together, which Fate could never get enough of.

Vivio let out a low growl at the uninvited trip down memory lane, and walked back in the kitchen to add the rest of the vodka to the soda bottle. She glanced at the clock above the oven, and was grateful to see it was time to start getting ready for the party that evening. She refilled the now empty vodka bottle with water and replaced it in the cabinet, and took her mixed drink into the bathroom with her.

A quick shower and change of clothes was all that was needed to remove the thoughts of what used to be, and she made her way back downstairs and was out the front door in no time. The bus that ran close to their house was running a little earlier, and she finished her drink as she traveled the two-mile journey in the back of the bus that evening. She was hoping she would still be at least slightly buzzed when she made it to her destination.

The bus stop was only a block away from the Nakajima's house, and she jogged across the quiet street towards the two-story brick home that sat at the back of the cul-de-sac. She had fought plenty of times in the make-shift fighting ring in the basement, as well as drunkenly thrown up on numerous occasions in one of the upstairs bathrooms.

Vivio didn't even have to knock before the front door flew open. "Vivio! Glad you could make it!" Wendi shouted above the loud music inside. "Drinks are in the kitchen, and everyone is heading to the basement soon."

"Thanks, Wendi," she responded as she walked inside and looked around. She spotted people walking through the kitchen to the door leading to the basement, but she opted to stop by the counter with the drinks before joining them downstairs.

Vivio was attempting to keep too much foam out of her beer she was getting from a keg, when she felt warm arms wrap around her waist.

"Hey, you made it," Sieg's soft voice said behind her.

Vivio glanced over her shoulder and smiled. "Yeah. Been here long?"

"Nope. Wanna do a shot with me?" Sieg asked as she pointed to the counter full of liquor bottles.

"I think I'll stick with this for now," she replied as she held up the plastic red cup in her hand. "But after our fights, I'm game."

Sieg pulled away from behind her and grabbed Vivio by the hand, and began leading her to the basement door. "Good idea. Hey, Nove recruited a new girl for tonight, by the way. She's supposed to be really tough."

"Who?"

Sieg shrugged. "Just some girl. Ein – something?"

Vivio stopped them in their tracks before they could reach the basement stairs. "Einhart Stratos?"

"Yeah, you know her?"

"I beat her in a tournament once before, when I was twelve," Vivio replied. "She's a year older than me, so she was always in a higher age bracket since then."

"Damnit, if _you_ beat her then she can't be all that good," Sieg teased.

Vivio's punched Sieg in the upper arm in response to the comment, causing Sieg to drop Vivio's hand and grab the spot in pain. "Holy... fuck! That hurt!" she yelled.

"Don't forget that I beat you too," Vivio reminded her as she walked past Sieg and down the basement stairs. She was greeted with the familiar sight of the crowd in a circle on the edges of the room, and a few well-warn mats were the only protection between the fighters and the hard concrete floor.

Vivio immediately searched the crowd for the aqua-haired girl she recalled from their previous encounter. Sieg was close behind as she descended the stairs next, rubbing her arm one last time before turning her attention to the warm-up match that was taking place.

"Who's sparring right now?" Sieg asked.

"Hmm?" Vivio distractedly responded. "Oh, um, it looks like Corona and Rio. They have their headgear on, so there must not be any bets on the match."

"Yeah, it's sometimes good to just practice outside of the gym."

Vivio spotted movement from across the crowd, and Vivio spotted familiar heterochromatic eyes as Einhart made her way through the crowd to stand in front to observe the match closer.

"Is that her?" Sieg asked Vivio from behind her.

"Yeah..." she replied quietly. "She grew up, that's for sure."

"Ain't that the truth..." Sieg was now distractedly eyeing Einhart, her eyes glancing up and down over her. Vivio rolled her eyes, and pushed her elbow into her companion's stomach.

Einhart spotted the interaction, and her eyes met Vivio's across the crowd. She nodded once in greeting before returning her attention to the center of the room.

"Looks like she remembers you too?" Sieg mentioned.

"Maybe so?" Vivio watched the match with feigned interest, choosing instead to try to sum up Einhart as much as possible from the corner of her eye. She had perfect posture and a slim figure in her black warmup pants and baby tee, and the muscles in her biceps were highly visible on her crossed arms.

Corona and Rio touched gloves to signify the end of their round and exited the ring, and Nove came to the center of the room and raised her hands. "Alright! As most of you know, this is a winner-take-all competition. There is no headgear, just regulation gloves. Everyone in the contest fights once, and the crowd decides the winner once it's all over. Any questions?"

Everyone in the crowd whispered and murmured after the announcement, but no one had anything to ask of the emcee. "Well, in that case... Einhart, you're up, since this is your first time here. You get to choose your opponent in return," Nove added.

Einhart looked directly across the room. "In that case, I choose Vivio," she replied confidently.

Vivio felt her head jerk back reflexively before she glanced over at Sieg, who shrugged at her in return. Vivio looked back at Einhart, who was unflinchingly meeting her gaze.

"No problem," Vivio replied as she took off her shirt and shoes, leaving her in just her sports bra and track pants. "I'm good with a rematch."

The crowd was buzzing with excitement as the two girls entered the designated fighting area together. Sieg helped Vivio secure her gloves onto her hands, while Nove assisted Einhart into hers.

Vivio punched her fists together to ensure they fit before turning her attention to her opponent. Nove stood between the two of them as they began to bounce and dance around in place.

"Go!" she shouted, and cut her hand in the air before moving backwards to rejoin the crowd.

Vivio approached Einhart quickly, and immediately landed a straight kick into Einhart's chest. The unexpected assault took Einhart by surprise, and she stumbled backwards before regaining her footing. Her confused and surprised expression lasted only a second before it returned to her usual stoic one instead.

The two met in the middle of the ring again, and began trading more controlled jabs and kicks without landing anything solid. Vivio attempted a right hook, which Einhart ducked and immediately came behind her, and wrapped her arms around her abdomen.

Vivio felt herself being picked up into the air several feet, and then slammed into the floor mat on her back with a loud_ thud_. Her head hit the thin mat sharply and caused her vision to blur for a moment, allowing Einhart to mount her hips to try to get her to submit.

"Get your ass up, Vivio!" she heard Sieg yell behind her.

Vivio was able to turn onto her stomach while Einhart punched her in the ribs and the back of the head. Using all the strength she could, she pushed Einhart off of her as she stood up. Vivio stumbled away to the edge of the ring, and Einhart let herself to recover while her opponent regained her composure as well.

Vivio quickly moved back to the center ring and began summing up Einhart's style again. She gathered that Einhart was patient and preferred to attack in well-timed measures, which was complete opposite to Vivio's strong-armed approach.

Einhart attempted to place a few side kicks to Vivio's thigh and waist, and on the third attempted kick Vivio saw her opportunity to counter-attack. She caught Einhart's leg and landed a straight jab directly on Einhart's unprotected face. Einhart flew backwards from the impact and hit the ground on her back. Vivio immediately tried a side-mount, but Einhart kicked her away in the chest and stood back up before she could successfully pin her.

Before Vivio could regain her defensive stance, Einhart was in front of her and attacking again at full force. Vivio landed a solid punch, but it didn't seem to phase her opponent. Einhart grabbed her behind the neck with both hands and brought her face down into her right knee, and then her left. Vivio flew back in a daze from the impacts, and Einhart landed one final right cross across her mouth, sending Vivio to the floor completely unconscious.

"That's it, that's it!" Nove shouted as she came to stand in front of Einhart. She held up her hands to show she was no longer a threat, and Sieg and Nove bent down to try to assist Vivio.

Vivio's head rolled back and forth a few times before she slowly blinked her eyes open. She immediately put her hand to her forehead. "Ugh, did I lose?" she mumbled in her haze.

"Do you feel like a winner right now?" Sieg sarcastically replied. Vivio reached her hands up, and Sieg and Nove helped her to her feet.

The taste of blood was present in Vivio's mouth, and she tenderly touched the left side of her face near her eye. She noticed it was swollen, and when she pulled her fingers away she found blood was flowing from a wound near her eye.

"We should get you cleaned up," Sieg suggested.

"You've gotten better, Einhart," Vivio said loudly across the room to the winner, whose back was to her as she began removing her gloves.

Einhart glanced over her shoulder. "Yeah, well... I expected more out of you, Vivio," she replied coldly.

"Hey, what is that supposed to mean?" Sieg said angrily.

Vivio touched her split lip and winced in pain. "It's fine, Sieg. She's right. Let's get upstairs so I can clean up before your match, okay?"

Vivio allowed Sieg to take her back up the basement stairs with her arm wrapped around her shoulder. Her ribs and back of her head were now aching from the repeated punches she had endured.

"Grab that," Vivio instructed and pointed to the kitchen island.

Sieg laughed and reached over to retrieve a bottle of tequila from the counter. They made their way through the kitchen and to the stairs, which lead up to the second story bedrooms. There was very few people in this area of the house, with most guests watching the fights in the basement at this point.

Vivio leaned up against the banister in the hallway as Sieg retrieved a first aid kit from the bathroom. Her vision was drawn to movement at the front door, and she spotted Einhart beginning to leave out the front door.

"You're not staying?" Vivio called out to her.

Einhart's hand paused on the front doorknob, and she eventually glanced up at Vivio. "There's no need to. I already accomplished what I came here for."

"What about the party? You could stay for a drink?"

Einhart hesitated for a moment, and her finger tapped the doorknob a few times in contemplation.

"We'll meet again when you're serious," was the only answer given before she exited the front door. Vivio was initially deflated by the response, but was soon distracted by Sieg pulling her into one of the bedrooms with the first-aid kit and bottle of tequila in her hand.

"Come on, Vivio. I'll definitely make you feel all better, okay?"

**oOOOo**

Vivio woke up to someone shaking her shoulders roughly. "Vivio, wake up! Wake the fuck up! It's the cops!"

Sieg ran to the other side of the room and started throwing clothes onto the bed. Vivio contemplated what she had been told for a moment as she tried to open her eyes, before jumping out of the bed quickly.

"Shit, I can't get caught here!" Vivio said in a panic.

"None of us can," Sieg replied as she pulled on her pants and buttoned them. She put on her t-shirt and untied shoes next as Vivio gathered her scattered clothes across the bed.

Vivio was dressed in record time despite her intoxicated state, and she paused to listen to the growing noise outside the bedroom door after. She turned her attention to one of the windows across the room when she heard footsteps ascending the stairs.

"We're on the second floor!" Sieg scolded when she noticed Vivio slide the window open.

"Got any other suggestions?" she replied as she looked outside to the ground.

Sieg bit her thumbnail as she contemplated the risk of jumping down from that height, but Vivio was already climbing out of the window before Sieg could decide if she had the courage do it or not.

"Hang on a second!" Sieg yelled.

Vivio calculated the best way to land, and before she could second-guess herself she jumped out of the window to the ground. The moment her feet hit the ground, she tucked and rolled to lessen the impact of the fall. She immediately looked up to the window above her and spotted Sieg about to jump out next.

"Be careful!" Vivio warned as she looked around outside to make sure the coast was still clear. Sieg hesitated for a moment longer, and then jumped out of the window next. When she landed, Vivio heard a loud _pop_ as Sieg awkwardly rolled after landing.

"FUCK!" Sieg screamed and grabbed her ankle to stabilize it. She fell back to the ground in pain, and her eyes were squeezed shut as her forehead pressed against the grass.

Vivio knelt down beside her. "Oh, shit! Alright, I'll go get help. Hang on, okay?" she said.

Sieg waved her hand at her but didn't look up. "Just go! Don't get caught here. Your mother will kill you."

"I'm not leaving you here, idiot." Vivio stood up and ran across the lawn and around to the front of the house, where she spotted an officer standing on the front porch.

"Hey!" he yelled when he looked in her direction and noticed her standing there. Vivio's plan was to run past Sieg on the ground and then down the street, but as she turned she ran straight into the chest of another officer. She fell to the ground in surprise from the impact.

"Vivio?!" the officer exclaimed as he looked down at the girl crumpled at his feet..

Vivio looked above her at the familiar voice, and then covered her eyes in realization. "Hey, Uncle Chrono," she muttered.

"There's an injured girl behind the house. Call for an ambulance," she heard him say to someone else as she continued to lay on the ground in defeat.

"Her name is Sieg," Vivio informed him.

"Get up, Vivio," Chrono directed her sternly. Vivio complied, and finally stood up and met her eyes with his. Chrono held up his index finger in front of her.

"Follow my finger with your eyes," he instructed. Vivio gave a half-hearted attempt, knowing she wouldn't be able to pass the sobriety test.

"Do you want me to hook her up?" an officer asked him behind Vivio.

Chrono shook his head. "No, I'll personally escort her home. Let's go, Vivio."

Vivio felt a strong hand grip her on the shoulder and start to guide her over to one of the squad cars parked outside the house. The flashing red and blue lights made her dizzy, and she had to fight off nausea as they got closer to the vehicle.

"You'd better not throw up in my car," Chrono added as if reading her mind. He opened the passenger side of the door, and kept his hand on her head as she entered to ensure she didn't hit it on the door frame. In any other situation, Vivio would feel absolute dread with having to face her mother after being driven home in a police car, but she was too intoxicated to let the implications of the situation fully sink in at the moment.

Chrono entered the vehicle next and immediately pulled out his cell phone. He punched a few buttons to pull up his contact list, and then brought the phone to his ear.

"Hey, Nanoha? Yeah, it's Chrono. Sorry to bother you so late... Yeah, she's okay. She was at a party that was just broken up... Well, she's pretty drunk?" He glanced over at Vivio, who was now slumped against the car door.

"Okay, I'll see you there," he said, and then ended the call and placed the phone in the cup holder. He put the car in gear and started driving out of the cul-de-sac.

"Great..." Vivio muttered.

"Am I supposed to feel sorry for you or something?" he countered.

Vivio shifted in the seat. "It doesn't matter."

"What would your mother say, huh?"

Vivio laughed a little. "Well, I'm sure she had plenty to say just now, right?"

Chrono paused, and then looked over at his niece. "No... Your other mother."

Vivio's eyes shot open and she glared at him. "Is that supposed to be some sort of sick joke, Chrono?"

Silence enveloped the two of them as the tension between them grew, with the subject of his absent adopted sister now hanging in the car.

"Like I give a flying-fuck what she thinks at this point," Vivio finally said bitterly.

Chrono didn't press the issue any further as they drove, and Vivio was more than happy to drop the subject of the blond-haired woman who had left their family behind without even saying goodbye. The ride to her house was much too short, and when they arrived she spotted her mother waiting on the front porch as they pulled into the driveway. She was still in her work uniform, and her sapphire eyes flashed in anger as they met her daughter's through the windshield.

Vivio pushed the car door open slowly as she maintained eye contact with her mother. Chrono exited the vehicle as well and walked behind his niece up the walkway. Vivio attempted to walk past her mother, but Nanoha put her arm up on the porch pillar to block her path.

"What happened to your face?" she asked angrily.

"I lost. It's no big deal," she replied.

Nanoha put her arm down. "Go inside. I'll meet you in the living room."

Chrono stood in front of Nanoha to discuss the details of the situation, and Vivio walked into the house. She collapsed on the couch and willed the room to stop spinning. After a few moments, the sound of her mother slamming the front door shut helped sober her up a little.

"Sit up!" Nanoha shouted.

Vivio groggily sat up on the couch and rubbed her eyes. She stared blankly at the floor as she awaited her mother's wrath.

Nanoha crossed her arms and peered down at Vivio."What am I supposed to do with you, Vivio?!"

Vivio continued to remain motionless. "Nothing."

"Nothing? You come home drunk, and your face is completely fucked up ... And I'm supposed to do nothing?!"

Nanoha watched in frustration as her daughter sat on the couch in silence in front of her. "Don't think for two seconds you won't be punished for this," she then threatened.

"It doesn't matter," was Vivio's only response as she crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly.

"No friends. No phone. No laptop. You can go to school and come straight home for the next month."

Vivio finally glanced up. "What about MMA?"

Nanoha put her hand on her hip as she contemplated the request. "You can still do that. But none of that unsanctioned bullshit. Signum's gym is probably the one good thing left you have going on in your life."

Vivio scoffed. "No kidding..." she muttered.

Nanoha tensed further. "It's that supposed to be some sort of snide remark about me?"

"You figure it out," Vivio replied as she stood up from the couch. She attempted to turn away from her mother to end the conversation and head to her bedroom.

Nanoha grabbed her by the sleeve and pulled her back to face her. "So what, it's my fault it is like this? Is that it?"

Vivio threw her arm back to get out of her mothers grasp. "It's always been your fault!" she shouted as her eyes locked onto her mother's. Nanoha's eyes immediately filled with tears at the implication.

"We aren't having this discussion while you're drunk," Nanoha said as she brushed a few tears away in frustration.

Vivio threw her hands up in the air. "Yep, let's keep avoiding reality. That sounds great! I'm going to bed then."

Nanoha let Vivio climb the stairs and enter her bedroom without any other attempts to stop her. She sat down on the couch that held so many warm memories for their family, and the emotions of the past immediately overwhelmed her. She clutched her hand to her mouth as she looked around the living room with wide eyes.

"God... how did we get to be like this?" she asked herself quietly.

Vivio laid her head down on the pillow, after having just thrown up in the bathroom attached to her bedroom. She turned to lay on her left side away facing away from the bedroom door, and she fell asleep to the familiar sound of her mother sobbing loudly in the living room over a life now gone forever.

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**A/N:** Ahhh I have too many stories to update, I swear. I'll do my best to keep up with them. Until next time! ~Nissanity~


	2. Chapter 2 - An Eye for an Eye

**A/N: **I wanted to progress this story a little bit further before I turned my attention back to my other stories. To **Sha Yurigami**, to hear you say that this story and others has reawakened the NanoFate fan in you is the coolest thing ever! Writing this is a challenge for me in all honesty, especially as I try to capture Einhart's character in her interactions with Vivio. As always, a heartfelt thanks to everyone for your reviews and follows of this new story!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

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******SURRENDER REFLEX**

**by : ~Nissanity~**

******Chapter 2 – ****__****An Eye for an Eye**

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_~Flashback, 13 months prior~_

Nanoha picked up her purse from the kitchen counter and slung the straps over her shoulder. "Alright, guys. Dinner is in the fridge. Do you need anything else before I leave tonight?"

Vivio picked up the rented movie from the kitchen counter. "Nope, we're good, Mama," she replied. She then turned her attention to the blond standing across from her. "Hey Fate, guess what we rented for us tonight?"

"_Just 'Fate'...?_" Nanoha thought to herself as she watched her daughter and best friend interact in the kitchen.

"Which movie is it?" Fate asked, and attempted to grab the movie from Vivio's hand.

Vivio pulled the movie away before her hand could reach it. She then placed the corner of the case in her teeth and swayed side to side as she taunted her with it. "What will you give me for it?" Vivio teased.

Fate smiled and tried to grab for it again, but Vivio moved it away and placed it behind her back. Fate took a step closer and tried to reach behind her to get the movie, but Vivio turned her back to her and hunched over to hide it.

Fate was met with screams and laughter when she came behind Vivio and started tickling her sides. "What was that?! What will_ I_ give you for it?!" she shouted playfully at her.

"Um, Fate-chan?" Nanoha ventured. She crossed her arms as she watched the two of them, and Fate immediately pulled away from Vivio in response.

"Yes, Nanoha?" she responded.

"I'm leaving now?"

Fate snatched the movie away from Vivio and held it above her head. "Oh, okay," she replied, and then glanced at the clock above the oven. "You'd better hurry Nanoha, or you'll be late for your date," she added.

"Seriously, we are fine, Mama. Go have fun!" Vivio insisted as she glanced over at Nanoha and shooed her away with her hands. She returned her attention to Fate again, who was now scanning the back cover of the movie case.

"Well, don't let Vivio stay up too late, okay?"

"Um-hmm," was Fate's distracted reply.

Vivio slowly pulled away from the kitchen counter and began walking behind Fate, and in a flash she grabbed the movie out of her hand and started running out of the kitchen. "See ya, Mama!" she yelled as she exited into the living room.

Fate waited just a second before chasing after Vivio into the living room. She met Nanoha's eyes and smiled as she passed by her in the kitchen.

"Bye, Nanoha!" she added over her shoulder.

Nanoha turned and watched Fate sit down on the couch and get comfortable, just as Vivio began to load the disc into the DVD player. She felt a temptation to stay at home instead and enjoy a movie night with the two, but she realized it would be too late to cancel the dinner date at that point. She sighed once and walked to the front door, and the intro of the movie began to play as the door shut behind her.

**oOOOo**

_~Present Day~_

Vivio woke up early and placed her hand over her eyes, attempting to block the bright sunlight filtering in through her window. She immediately pulled her hand away from her face in pain, feeling noticeable swelling under her temple beside her left eye. She grabbed the alarm clock from the stand clumsily and brought in front of her.

"7_:36am,_" it read. Vivio set it back down and laid still for a moment in the bed. She was definitely hungover, but her body would never allow her to sleep any later than this time in the morning, no matter what she had done the night before.

Two feet slowly emerged from under the covers and were placed on the floor. She gripped the edge of the bed and immediately felt the need for fluids to combat dehydration. She stumbled out of her room and down the stairs that lead directly into the kitchen.

Nanoha was already awake that Sunday in her workout attire, having just returned from her usual morning jog. She was standing at the kitchen counter and staring out the window as Vivio staggered to the refrigerator.

"Coffee's ready," Nanoha mentioned as she continued to look outside.

"Thanks," Vivio mumbled as she retrieved a bottle of water from the top shelf. She twisted off the cap and drank about half of the contents in one go. She then grabbed her head and squeezed her eyes shut when the cold water caused a stabbing pain to pass between her temples.

Nanoha glanced at her daughter behind her. "What do you plan to do today?" she asked.

Vivio shrugged. "Just the gym. Not much else I can do," she muttered.

"Um-hmm," Nanoha confirmed.

A tense silence fell between the two of them. Vivio debated whether she was ready to attempt breakfast, and Nanoha wondered how to keep the conversation from escalating into an argument. She decided to bring up a neutral subject to avoid more confrontation.

"Hayate is coming over for dinner tonight. It would be nice if you could be here."

Vivio nodded. "What time?"

"Six."

"Okay," Vivio replied as she grabbed a second bottle of water from the refrigerator. She then exited the kitchen to return to her bedroom upstairs, and her mother made no motion to stop her from leaving.

Vivio crossed her bedroom and entered into her attached bathroom. She looked in the mirror and was surprised by the amount of swelling present on her bruised face. It was the first time someone had injured her so severely in such a short amount of time during a match.

Blood had seeped through the bandage that Sieg had placed over the wound the night before, and she removed it in one hard yank. She used antiseptic spray next to remove the dried blood and sanitize the tender area. The gash probably could have used a few stitches if she had been so inclined to go to the hospital, but she laughed at the notion and opted to have the scar instead.

Vivio then paused and gripped the sink counter, and memories of the previous night starting flashing through her mind. She vaguely remembered jumping out of the second story window, and then Sieg following behind her. She winced as she recalled the distinct sound of her ankle breaking as she hit the ground at the wrong angle.

The sound echoed in Vivio's mind as she took a shower, and continued to replay as replaced the butterfly bandages on the cut afterward. She shook her head to try to clear her mind of the haunting memory, and instead retrieved her gym bag from the corner of her bedroom. She was down the stairs and out the front door quickly, with no sign of her mother anywhere around as she exited the house.

The stares began as soon as Vivio approached the bus stop, and people glanced up from their newspapers to look at her injured face. She did her best to ignore them while she waited, and she shifted the weight of her duffel bag on her shoulder as she glanced down the street for the bus.

Inside the bus was no better, and she did her best to avoid eye contact as she watched the city pass her by outside her window.

"I fell down some stairs," she sarcastically informed the elderly woman who was openly gawking at her from across the aisle. The woman did not flinch or change her expression, and she continued to stare at Vivio despite her comment.

"_Christ..._" Vivio muttered under her breath and shook her head, although she couldn't help but let a small grin pass by her lips at the awkwardness of the situation.

The bus finally came to the stop in front of Signum's gym, and Vivio finally relaxed as she exited and started walking up the street. Her relief was short-lived, however, when she spotted a familiar figure leaning against the wall near the front of the gym.

"Um...Einhart?" Vivio ventured as she came closer to the girl,

"Hello, Vivio," Einhart replied casually.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm waiting to see you," was the unflinching response.

Vivio stepped back a little skeptically. "Okay? That's not strange at all, or anything."

Einhart slowly removed herself from the wall and walked directly towards Vivio. She grabbed her chin in her hand and turned her head slightly to inspect her injured face.

"Is it strange?" Einhart questioned. She then nodded and hummed to herself as she let Vivio's face go, as if approving of the damage she had inflicted on it the previous night.

An awkward silence fell over the two as they stared at each other expectantly. "So... here I am?" Vivio eventually said.

"Are you sober today?" Einhart asked her point-blank.

Vivio tilted her head and looked at her in confusion over the sudden question. She eventually began chuckling at oddness of the conversation she was currently having. "Yes? Well, for now at least."

"Hmmm," Einhart replied as she continued to study Vivio.

"Okay, I don't - " Vivio began to say.

"Signum told me what time you usually got here, so I waited for you," Einhart interrupted. "I was taking a tour of the gym this morning. I am supposed to spar with you next week."

Vivio nodded, and she was grateful for some clarity in the situation. "Ah, I see."

Einhart looked away from Vivio to the ground beside her. "Are you going to enter the tournament next month?"

"Um, I didn't plan on it?" Vivio tentatively responded.

Einhart's head shot up in surprise. "Oh... I see," she said quietly. "Well, if you'll excuse me then."

Vivio was stunned to watch Einhart promptly turn her back to her and start walking away down the street. "Hey, wait a minute!" she yelled.

Einhart held her hand up above her shoulder as a goodbye. "It will be bad if you're late," she told her without turning around.

Vivio ran to catch up to her on the street, and she stopped in front of her to block her path. Einhart narrowed her eyes at her in response.

"Was that all you wanted?" Vivio asked.

"Well, yes. I accomplished what I came here for." Einhart tried to resume her path down the street, but Vivio stepped in front of her again.

"What were you here to accomplish?" Vivio pressed.

"I wanted to see if you were serious about fighting, or if this was just a mere hobby for you. I have my answer now."

Vivio was floored by the assumption Einhart had just made about her, and she allowed her to pass by without stopping her again. It took her a few seconds to recover completely before she spun around angrily.

"What gives you the right to decide whether I'm serious or not?!" she shouted bitterly.

Einhart continued walking away without responding, and when she reached the nearby intersection she rounded the corner and was gone from her sight. Vivio walked backwards a few steps in a state of frustration, and then pushed opened the door to the gym in a huff.

"Nice face," Vita greeted her from behind the front counter. Vivio chose to ignore the sarcastic comment and stormed into the gym. She threw her duffel bag under one of the benches along the wall and joined Signum near the practice ring in the center of the room.

Signum glanced down once at Vivio, and then turned to openly stare at her injured face. She shook her head in disbelief. "Fucking great," she groaned.

"It's fine," Vivio replied.

"Why do you look so pissed off right now, by the way?"

Vivio looked to the ground and crossed her arms. "Apparently I am not a serious enough fighter for some people," she mumbled.

The instructor only grunted in response, although Vivio knew she was leaving herself wide open for criticism with the comment.

"Sieg's mother showed up here today, just so you know," Signum informed her. Vivio visibly tensed, and the sound of the injury began to echo in her mind all over again.

"How bad is it?" Vivio asked.

"Well, it's broken, that's for sure," Signum replied. "It really screws us for next month."

"She can't compete in the tournament at all?"

Signum scoffed at the notion. "She'll be lucky to ever fight at the same level again after rehab, honestly."

"Shit..." Vivio muttered. "Well, I can't call her, but will you tell her if there is anything I can do for her...?"

Signum turned and stared at her, and she allowed her level of frustration to show through on her face. "I think you've done enough already. Wouldn't you agree, Vivio?"

Vivio inhaled deeply as she tried to control her temper that was threaten to boil over at this point. She balled her hands into fists and turned her attention back to the ring. "Am I sparring today?" she asked.

"Like hell you are!" a voice came from behind her. Vivio turned around to see Vita now standing behind her.

"What am I doing today then?" Vivio asked skeptically.

Vita poked her hard in the chest. "You're mine until your face heals."

"Ouch!" Vivio grumbled as she rubbed the spot on her chest. Vita pointed down in front of her.

"On the ground, idiot. You're lucky your mother is who she is, by the way."

"Don't drag my mother into this," Vivio countered as she assumed the push-up position.

"Less talking!" Signum yelled at her. Vita squatted down and flicked her on the forehead with her middle finger.

"You heard her, dumbass," Vita scolded.

Vivio shook her head and started doing the first exercise. "1, 2, 3, 4..."

**oOOOo**

The doorbell of the Takamachi home rang out just a little after six that evening.

"Vivio, can you please get the door?" Nanoha asked her daughter from the kitchen.

Vivio exited the living room and opened the front door. She found the brown-haired woman she had considered an aunt since she was a child on the other side.

"Hello, Hayate."

"Oh, lord..." Hayate responded as she saw her injured face. Vivio laughed, and the two exchanged hugs in the doorway.

"I've been getting that reaction a lot today," she added as she let Hayate into the house.

"Man, that smells really good!" she mentioned as they starting walking towards the dining room together. "So how are things, Vivio?"

"About the same," she replied.

"I'd ask if you've been staying out of trouble, but I think I already know the answer."

Vivio shrugged. "I try to keep things from getting dull." Hayate sat at the front of the table and Vivio took her normal spot on one of the sides.

Nanoha entered from the kitchen with a casserole and set in the middle of the table. She then took off her oven mitts and leaned over to kiss Hayate on the cheek in greeting.

"How are things going?" Nanoha asked her childhood friend.

Hayate eyed the food on the table. "Well, great now! I haven't had your cooking in such a long time," she replied happily.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it! It's vegan for Vivio, by the way. I hope you don't mind?"

"Of course not," she replied. "By the way, the 108th squadron came back today from Iraq with no casualties. We can certainly chalk that up as a reason to celebrate."

"That's Teana and Subaru's squad, isn't it?" Nanoha asked.

Vivio took some salad as she smiled at Hayate regarding the good news. She hadn't seen the pair in six months, who had been deployed for a half-tour in one of the more unstable regions in the country.

"Yep, they're back," Hayate confirmed. "So how is work for you going, Nanoha?"

Nanoha hesitated a moment as she started dishing out the casserole to Hayate and Vivio. "Well, the new cadets show up first thing tomorrow. I'll be working long hours for the next six weeks, as usual."

Hayate glanced over to Vivio to see if she had a reaction to her mother's announcement, but she did not seemed phased by the notion of not seeing her mother around as much. She recalled a time a few years before when her mother decided to go back to work after a short retirement, and Vivio threw a tantrum that her mother would not be at home as much for her.

"So how is MMA going?" Hayate asked Vivio to change the subject.

"It's okay, I guess. Einhart asked me if I was going to compete in the tournament next month, and acted all weird when I said I wasn't."

"Einhart?" Nanoha responded. "I don't remember that name from the gym. I thought I said no friends while you were grounded?"

Vivio rolled her eyes. "She's not a friend. She's the one who kicked my ass last night."

"Well, I definitely want to meet this girl then," Hayate mentioned to Nanoha, who nodded her head in agreement. "Why don't you want to compete in the tournament, Vivio?"

"Because it doesn't interest me," she replied with a shrug. "I don't need some stupid medal to prove anything to anyone."

The sound of silverware clinking against the porcelain plates filled the room as the three focused on their dinners in silence. Nanoha was the first to place her fork down and approach the subject that inevitably came up when Hayate joined them for dinner.

"So, how is Fate?" Nanoha asked quietly as she stared at the table. Vivio paused mid-bite and looked over at Hayate cautiously for her response.

Hayate paused. "She's okay," she replied, the usual answer she gave them. Nanoha swallowed and nodded, and then picked up her fork to continue eating without pressing any further.

"Well, where is she now?" Vivio asked.

Hayate drummed her fingers and debated divulging any more information about her friend's situation. She eventually sighed and caved in. "Afghanistan," she informed them.

"Afghanistan?!" Vivio exclaimed, her voice raising slightly. "I thought the country pulled all the troops out from there?"

"There are still some needed there, Vivio," Hayate replied.

Vivio leaned forward in her seat. "Well, is she in danger?" she pressed, near tears. "I mean, what is she doing over there? Couldn't she be killed?!"

"That's enough, Vivio!" Nanoha suddenly shouted at her and banged her fist on the table. "Let's just move on to another subject, okay?"

Vivio met her mother's eyes in shock and disbelief. She then pushed her plate away from her on the table. "May I be excused?" she asked angrily.

"Go ahead," Nanoha replied as she waved her hand at her dismissively.

Hayate watched helplessly as Vivio scooted her chair away from the table and exited the dining room. The sound of her loudly climbing the stairs was finished with a slam of her bedroom door.

"Sorry, Nanoha," Hayate said as the loud bang shook the house.

Nanoha threw her napkin onto her plate. "It's my fault, Hayate. I apologize that you had to see that."

"I knew she didn't take Fate leaving well, but it seems like things have gotten worse?" she ventured.

"Yes, it has. She got caught drinking at a party last night. If Chrono hadn't been there, she would have been thrown in jail, most likely," she replied. "Apparently, there is some underground fighting ring she is apart of."

Hayate's eyes grew wide. "Jesus Christ..."

"We are like strangers now," Nanoha added. "Angry, angry strangers."

"What are you going to do?" Hayate asked as she poured herself some wine from the bottle on the table.

Nanoha held up her glass to indicate she wanted some as well. "Just wait until it finally explodes, I guess. The more I punish her, the harder she fights back. And she has no fear of sacrificing her body or her future in the process."

"Is she even going to graduate this year?"

Nanoha shook her head and swirled the wine in front of her. "It's doubtful. She has been suspended three times for fighting, and she is failing most of her classes."

Hayate sighed. "I don't even know what to say, Nanoha."

Tears soon threatened to fall from Nanoha's eyes. "Fate-chan was so good at heading off this type of behavior..." she mentioned.

"Do you want to talk about what happened between them?"

Nanoha laughed to herself a little. "I'm not even sure what _did_ happen at this point, honestly."

Hayate finished her wine, and then poured herself another glass. "Hmmm. Well, I'm sure you have your suspicions at least?"

Unbeknownst to the two women downstairs, Vivio had opened her bedroom door slightly to eavesdrop on their conversation. She knew she didn't want to listen to her mother discuss the situation that happened between her daughter and Fate a year ago, and she eyed her bedroom window instead. She decided that sneaking out to get some fresh air would help ease her mind.

Vivio quietly slid open the window to her bedroom and climbed to the branch of the tree nearby, something she had done countless times before. She stepped down onto the usual branches, and soon her feet hit the ground. She was quickly running around the corner of her house and down the street that evening, with her usual destination set firmly in her mind.

**oOOOo**

"_You have got to be kidding me...?_" Vivio thought to herself as she noticed Einhart walking down the street in front of her school. She debated whether she wanted to engage the odd girl in conversation again or not, but she finally let her curiosity get the best of her. She ran down the deserted street to try to catch up with retreating figure.

"Einhart!" Vivio yelled as she got closer.

Einhart stopped and spun around at the sound of her name. She tilted her head to the side as Vivio came closer. "Vivio?" she cautiously responded.

"Hey! So are you stalking me, or what?" Vivio teased.

"What? B-But you're the one who found me?" she responded in confusion.

Vivio laughed. "Nevermind. So, what are you doing out here?"

"I'm touring the campus. I'm starting classes tomorrow."

"Really?" Vivio replied in shock, and looked beside her. "That one?" she asked and pointed to her school.

Einhart shook her head and pointed across the street. "No, that one."

Vivio looked to her left and noted the city's community college that was across the campus from her school. "Oh. Well, that makes sense."

"Actually I'm glad you are here, Vivio. I wanted to tell you directly that - "

"Oh, shit! We have to hide," Vivio suddenly interrupted, and she grabbed Einhart's hand and pulled her behind one of the walls of the school before she could protest. Vivio peaked around the corner, and then hid her head again as campus security drove by on the street.

"Why did we have to hide?" Einhart asked after Vivio relaxed.

"Sorry, there is a curfew on Sundays. And that security guy definitely would have recognized me." Vivio then began walking along the wall towards the back of the school, and Einhart followed behind her.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

Vivio pointed to a park that was currently deserted nearby. "There. It's where I usually go on nights like this," she replied.

Einhart remained silent as the two of them walked to the park. Vivio led her to a set of swings and sat down on one, and her companion took the seat next to her.

"So, you were saying earlier?" Vivio asked. She pushed herself off the ground to swing back and forth a little bit.

"Yes, that," Einhart nodded. She then looked away and down at the ground, which was a habit that Vivio noticed she did when she had something serious on her mind. "I have thought about it a lot today, and I don't believe I will be sparring with you next week."

Vivio tried to hide her disappointment as best as she could. "And why is that, Einhart?"

"Because you are not the person I thought you were," she replied.

Vivio dragged her feet on the ground to stop swinging. "What does that even mean? You don't even know me!"

"I only want to compete against serious fighters. Anything else is a waste of my time and energy."

Vivio stood up from the swing and faced her. "You truly think I'm not a serious fighter?"

Einhart met her gaze steadily. "You're the one who showed up to the fight intoxicated last night."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Vivio responded and threw her hands up in the air in frustration.

"Exactly." Einhart stood up from the swing began to head towards the park exit. "Please take care of yourself, Vivio."

Vivio angrily crossed her arms and watched Einhart walk away from her for a second time that day. She then glanced around her to make sure the park was empty before speaking up again.

"I'm sober now, you know?" Vivio taunted.

Einhart stopped in her tracks at the sudden challenge, and she turned around slowly to face Vivio again. "What are you saying?" she asked after a moment.

Vivio held out her arms. "I'm just saying that I'm here now, Einhart. Unless you aren't serious, of course?"

Blue and purple eyes flashed at the insinuation, and Einhart quickly walked back to her. "This is not a proper venue for a fight, Vivio."

"Who cares? Here, I'll even give you one free punch," she said, and pointed to her left shoulder. "Try hitting someone without the gloves on and see what it feels like."

"I'm starting to question your sanity, Vivio," Einhart responded. Even though she was hesitant, Vivio did catch that she looked somewhat intrigued by the idea.

Vivio grabbed Einhart's right hand and formed it into a fist, and then placed it against her shoulder where she had previously indicated. "Right there. Don't worry, I can take it. Just do it!" Einhart glanced reluctantly between her fist and the intended target a few times.

"Damnit, Einhart! If you are just going to be a chickenshit about - " she started, but her snide comment was immediately halted when Einhart planted her fist directly into Vivio's shoulder.

"O...Oww!" Einhart shouted and held her hand against her stomach afterward. Vivio simultaneously stumbled backwards and grabbed her shoulder in pain. She started laughing as her left arm hung loosely in front of her, and she was initially unable to move it from the shock of the impact.

"I didn't expect you to hit me with everything you had, Einhart?!" she shouted with one eye open towards her, still feeling the aftershocks of the blow. She began rotate her arm in a circle slowly to dissipate some of the pain.

"You didn't tell me not to, Vivio!" Einhart countered. She shook her hand and stood back up to face her opponent again.

Vivio started bouncing around in place, and then assumed her normal defensive stance. "Now where do I get to hit you, hmm?" she asked excitedly.

Einhart assumed her usual stance as well. "I don't remember agreeing to that?"

Vivio stopped moving around and placed her hands on her hips. "Oh, come on. All the serious fighters do it!"

Einhart frowned. "Now you're just mocking me."

"You're right, I'm sorry," Vivio acknowledged and resumed her stance. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

Einhart stood up straight and pointed to her midsection. "The stomach," she said.

"What?"

"You can punch me in the stomach," she told her. "I want to test out my core strength."

"Okay, you're the boss," Vivio replied, and immediately sunk her right fist into Einhart's abdomen. Einhart collapsed the ground and groaned in pain.

"Wasn't... ready..." she whimpered between gasps.

Vivio grimaced as she knelt down beside her and rested a hand on her back. "Sorry, that was totally my bad. I should have waited for your signal."

Einhart took a few deep breaths, and then took Vivio by complete surprise when she tackled her to the ground. She immediately side-mounted her and started trying to lock onto one of her arms to get her to submit.

"This is payback, Vivio!" she yelled down as pushed her face away with an elbow.

Vivio came close to tapping about, but she felt an opportunity and moved out of Einhart's lock just in time. She came up from behind and started pounding on her shoulder blades with her fists, although she wasn't hitting her nearly as hard as she could.

"You can't beat me this time!" she shouted as Einhart tried to crawl away. Vivio was not expecting the elbow that came flying backwards, and it hit her directly on the already injured side of her face.

"Ah, time out!" Vivio cried as she stood up and held her face that was now throbbing in pain. Einhart quickly turned around and got up as well. Vivio pulled her hand away to show her the fresh blood from the reopened wound.

Einhart came closer to inspect the injury. "Sorry, Vivio. I should have been more careful."

Vivio laughed. "Nah, it's fine! But I probably should get home to clean this up, though."

"That's a good idea. It looks pretty bad."

The two paused for a moment, and then Vivio smiled and began walking backwards towards the park exit. "I'll see you around, okay?"

"Yes. See you around, Vivio."

Vivio jogged back to her house using all the shortcuts and alleyways she knew, and she would hide from view every time a car would pass by her on the street. She looked down at her shoulder and noticed a few drops of blood had made it onto her t-shirt.

When she made it to back her house, she observed that Hayate's car was not in the driveway. She looked up to her bedroom window and noticed the light was still off. She assumed her mother had not gone to check in on her and wouldn't have noticed her absence. She climbed up the front tree and slide her bedroom window open, and then tried to be as quiet as possible when she reentered her room.

Vivio froze in place when her bedroom light suddenly came on behind her. She turned around quickly and saw her mother with her finger on the light switch by her bedroom door.

"Mama!" she exclaimed. "I, um..."

Nanoha shook her head in anger and disbelief at her daughter. "I've had it with you, Vivio. I want you out of my house by tomorrow. Do you understand me?"

Vivio said nothing in response, and Nanoha stormed out of her bedroom and slammed the door shut behind her.

* * *

**A/N:** Next is an update to _Rum-Runner Girls_, and then _Practice Makes Perfect_. See you then! ~Nissanity~


	3. Chapter 3 - More By Accident Than Design

**A/N: **There were a few reviewers really questioning why Fate left and what happened between her and Vivio, and I didn't want to leave you guys hanging for too long. This chapter will be shedding more light on those issues. A special thank you to all the positive reviews for the story! It really keeps me motivated to keep writing =^..^=

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******SURRENDER REFLEX**

**by : ~Nissanity~**

******Chapter 3 – ****__****More By Accident Than By Design**

* * *

_~Flashback, 13 months prior~_

Nanoha tapped her thumb impatiently on the steering wheel as she waited for the light at the intersection to change from red to green. She checked her makeup one more time in the rear view mirror, and then sat back in the seat and exhaled loudly. Her stomach had been in knots ever since she had left Fate and Vivio alone in the house to go on a date with Yuuno that evening.

"I must be losing my mind," she muttered as the light turned green and she pressed the accelerator again. Visions of the small touches and hugs her best friend and daughter had shared over the past few weeks continued to creep into her mind, despite her best efforts to block them. She didn't trust her rebellious 16-year-old daughter around Fate in the slightest, but she did trust Fate to be the adult in the situation, and that she would stop any escalation that might occur between them. Maybe.

Nanoha growled and pulled the car over to the side of the road. She reached into her jacket pocket and retrieved her cellphone, and she pulled up her previous text conversation with Yuuno on her phone.

"_I know it's last minute, but something came up at home and I need to cancel tonight. Sorry, I'll call you later,_" she wrote.

"_Thanks for nothing,_" was the reply she got after a moment. She threw the phone away from her onto the passenger seat in anger after reading the response. She had already wanted to end it when him for a while, and that response was the last bit of ammunition she needed. She knew she wouldn't be calling him that night or ever again.

As Nanoha began the journey back home, she recalled the few times her and Fate had come close to crossing the line of friendship over the years themselves. The mutual feelings between the two were undeniable, and their friends and family would often question the two raising a daughter together without actually being in a romantic relationship.

Nanoha would never allow the relationship to progress into anything more than close friendship, though. Fate was deployed or stationed overseas more often than not over the years, and that was not the type of relationship Nanoha envisioned for herself. Fate respected her wishes and never pressed the issue, and Nanoha made sure her best friend always had some place to call home when she was on leave. Nanoha had a string of failed relationships to show as a result of the decision, and she had just added a new one to the list that evening.

As Nanoha pulled into the driveway and exited her car, she tried to recall when it was that Fate and Vivio had stopped having a mother-daughter type relationship, and started being friends instead. She figured it must have been during Fate's current leave home. She had been working long hours recently, and she hadn't spent much time with the two of them these past few months to notice the change before now.

She slid the key into the deadbolt and opened the front door quietly, and as she looked over from the front hallway she noticed the movie was currently paused on the television. She walked towards the living room, and then abruptly stopped in her tracks when she spotted Vivio on top of Fate on the couch. Fate's hand was currently resting on one of the younger girl's breasts, with Vivio's hands on top of it holding it in place.

"Oh, shit! Nanoha!" Fate yelled when she noticed her enter into the living room.

Vivio removed herself from on top of Fate, and quickly stood up beside the couch. Nanoha began to approach Fate in a rage, but Vivio grabbed her arm to try to stop her before she could.

"Mama, don't - !" she tried, but Nanoha threw her hand off of her arm in anger.

"Don't you dare touch me right now, Vivio!" Nanoha seethed. "Just... don't."

Fate attempted to stand up from the couch. "Nanoha, please let me explain," she started, but her comment was greeted by a hard slap across the face. Fate reflexively grabbed her cheek and looked back at Nanoha in stunned silence.

"Explain what, Fate-chan?! That you can't fuck me, so you are going to go after my daughter instead?!" she shouted.

"It's not like that!" Fate shouted back. "Tell her, Vivio!"

Vivio crossed her arms and stared at the floor. "Fate and I have been sleeping together for a while now, Mama. We just didn't want to tell you right away," she responded quietly.

The confession hung heavily in the room, and Fate let her hand on her face drop to her side heavily. "Vivio, why would you tell her - ?"

"I've heard enough, Fate-chan! I can't believe you would do something like this!"

"You won't even let me say anything in my defense, though!" Fate countered.

Nanoha threw her hands up in the air. "What's to say? I saw it with my own eyes, and Vivio just confirmed it."

"What's wrong, Mama? Huh?" Vivio then taunted. "You can't stand to see Fate happy with someone else or something? It's pathetic. Just go back to screwing your weird boyfriend and let the two of us be happy."

"This isn't happening," Fate muttered, and put her hands on her head as she sunk back down on the couch.

"You're sixteen years old, Vivio. And she is practically your mother. You don't have any idea what you are doing!"

Vivio shook her head. "No, it's _you_ who has no idea what you were doing! Do you know what kind of torture it was for Fate to have to come home and see you with different people all these years? Well, you know what? I was here for her all those times you weren't."

Fate eventually stood up from the couch and left the room without a word, leaving Vivio and Nanoha to continue fighting about her as if she wasn't even there. She needed some time away to process what had just happened, and she knew her continued presence in the house that evening would most likely make things worse between the three of them.

She quietly exited through the front door of the home, and as she was walking down the driveway she retrieved her cellphone from her pocket. She dialed the number to her longtime friend and platoon commander, and she was thankful she was able to catch her on the first try.

"Hayate...? Yeah, it's Fate... Hey, are you busy right now? I was hoping I could talk to you."

**oOOOo**

_~Present Day~_

Vivio deposited seventy-five cents into newspaper vending machine outside of Signum's gym to buy a paper. Her mother had kicked her out of the house the previous evening, and she knew she needed to check the want-ads as soon as possible to find a job to support herself.

She entered the gym afterward and left the newspaper on the front counter, and she spotted Signum trying to fix a broken elliptical across the room. As she came closer to her instructor, Signum first nodded her head in greeting, and then stared up at Vivio in confusion.

"Wait, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in school?" she asked.

Vivio stuck her hands in her pants pockets. "My mother kicked me out of the house last night. I have to try to find a job, so I'm probably going to have to drop out of school and MMA. I was just coming by to tell you first."

Signum sighed and shook her head in disappointment before returning her vision to the equipment. "I'd ask what happened, but it doesn't matter. It's been a long time coming anyway."

Vivio fidgeted a little. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Why are you dropping out of MMA?"

"Well, I doubt I'll be able to afford the gym costs. I'm going to have to start paying rent somewhere, I'm sure," Vivio replied.

Signum grunted in acknowledgment and picked up a different tool from her toolbox. "Welcome to being an adult, huh? Well, I hate to see you go."

"Me too. I'm sorry, Signum. I'll still come by and visit when I can, though." Vivio turned to walk out of the gym, and she was about halfway across the room when Signum spoke up again.

"You can still train here, Vivio. We can waive the fees."

Vivio stopped and spun around. "I'm not looking for a handout, okay? I did this to myself. I know that."

Signum stood up from the machine. "I didn't say it was without a price. You can still train here if you take Sieg's place in the tournament in exchange. The gym needs someone to represent them."

Vivio weighed the proposal seriously. She knew it was an incredibly generous offer to come from her instructor, and one she didn't rightly deserve after everything she had done.

"Take it or leave it," Signum added and held her hands out in front of her.

"Okay, I'll do it," Vivio confirmed.

"Another thing, Vivio. You can pick up some weeknight and weekend shifts here if you need the money. Vita wants to become a personal trainer here instead, so I'll need the counter and cleaning help."

"Why are you doing all this for me, Signum? Seriously, I don't get it?" Vivio asked in astonishment.

"This isn't charity, Vivio," she replied. "I expect you to work hard and to produce results. And if you so much as think about screwing this up, you're out of here."

"I won't let you down," Vivio replied.

"You'd better not. Now go to school. I'll ask around today to see if anyone has a room for you to rent somewhere, okay?"

Vivio nodded in compliance and turned away, and she felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She looked down at her watch and noted that classes at school had already started that morning. She knew it was better to just skip the entire day and make up an excuse for the absence, rather than to show up late and risk getting detention.

Even though Signum had offered to try to find her a place to stay, Vivio still felt responsible to look for somewhere to live herself. She grabbed the newspaper from the counter before she exited the gym, and she sat down on a bench to browse the 'rooms-for-rent' section of the classified ads.

Vivio glanced over briefly to the other page after a moment, and noticed an small ad for the gym she knew Einhart trained at. She decided to make a detour there first before she started calling all the ads she had circled in the newspaper.

**oOOOo**

"Hey, Nove! How's it going?" Vivio greeted as she entered the gym and spotted the girl behind the counter.

"Vivio! Hey, how are you doing? Sorry about the cops the other night at the party," she said. "Man, Genya and Quint were pissed at me yesterday!"

Vivio laughed. "Well, no shit! I probably would be too. Are you going to be holding any more fights there again, or no?"

"Yeah, I was thinking we would in the next few weeks, actually," she replied. Nove's face then fell a little after a moment. "Sorry about Sieg, by the way. That really sucks. I hope the injury didn't ruin her for good or anything."

"Yeah, me too," Vivio replied quietly, and the two paused for a moment in uncomfortable silence. Vivio reminded herself that she needed to call Sieg at some point soon, now that she had the freedom to so.

"Hey, is there any way I can get in touch with Einhart?" Vivio asked next. "I have something I wanted to tell her."

Nove pointed towards the door to the gym. "You can go talk to her right now, actually. She just finished sparring a few minutes ago."

Vivio thanked Nove and stepped away from the counter. When she opened the door, she noticed Einhart standing next to the gym's practice ring, and she was currently taking off her gloves and hand wrapping. Her opponent was sitting on one of the benches by the wall in a daze.

"Hey, Einhart," Vivio said as she approached her.

Einhart looked up at Vivio, and then back and forth between her and the gym door in confusion. "Vivio? What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you. Is this a good time?"

"Well, I was actually just leaving," Einhart replied as she zipped her gym bag and threw it over her shoulder. "You can come with me if you want. I'm just headed home."

"Yeah, that's fine. I'm not doing much right now anyway," she shrugged.

The two said goodbye to Nove as they exited the gym together. "So, you're not in school today?" Einhart asked as they entered onto the street.

"No, not today. I kind of got in trouble with my mom last night, and she kicked me out of the house," she replied. "I'm about to start looking for a place to stay now." Vivio held up the section of the newspaper that had the ads circled for Einhart to see.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said.

"What about you? No school today either?"

"Later this evening. I decided to take night classes, so that I could train during the days. So, you wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Yeah, I did. I wanted to tell you that I'm going to be competing in the tournament next month after all," Vivio informed her.

Einhart stopped walking completely, and Vivio didn't notice until she was a few steps ahead of her. She turned around and raised her eyebrows at her.

"Is that okay? Or... no?" Vivio asked.

"Sorry, that just surprised me," Einhart replied, and jogged to catch up to her. "What made you change your mind?"

Vivio shrugged. "It was an agreement I came to with Signum, actually. So that I could continue training at her gym."

Einhart looked to the ground. "Oh. So, it's something you are forced to do then?"

"Well, I guess. But either way, I'll be competing in it. That's something, right?"

"Hmmm..." was Einhart's only response. She continued to avoid eye contact and stared at the pavement as they walked, and Vivio felt a little deflated and confused at her response.

"I'm also going to start working at the gym after school and on the weekends," Vivio continued. "Signum offered me a job there."

Einhart seemed a little bit more receptive after hearing that news. "Well, that's good. I think it will be a positive step for you, Vivio."

"Me, too," she replied.

They walked a short distance from the gym to a nearby apartment complex that was for college students, and Einhart led them to a set of outdoor stairs. The stairs ended at a balcony with two apartment doors facing each other on the second floor. Einhart climbed the stairs and retrieved her keys from her bag while Vivio watched her from the base of them below.

Vivio was about to say goodbye to the girl and walk away, but Einhart stopped her before she could. "Are you coming inside or not?" she asked as she looked down at her from above.

"Huh? O-Oh, right," Vivio stammered as she climbed up the stairs behind her.

Vivio entered into the small, one-bedroom apartment shortly behind Einhart. The living room and kitchen were clean and organized, and the furniture was simple and efficient. Vivio was not surprised at all by the way Einhart's living space was set up.

"Would you like something to drink? Water, or maybe tea? I'm afraid I do not keep alcohol in the house," Einhart informed her guest.

Vivio was a little taken aback at the jab. "Um, water's fine. Thank you."

As Einhart went to retrieve the drinks from the fridge, Vivio sat down on one end of the couch. She was surprised by how comfortable it was despite it's appearance, and she bounced up and down on the cushion. She looked across the room and noticed there was no television where one would usually be present. Einhart reentered into the living room with two bottles of water and sat down in the armchair next to the couch.

"No television?" Vivio asked her.

"No. Do I need one?"

Vivio pointed to effects around the room. "Well, how do you know which direction to point the furniture in without one?" she joked.

Einhart studied Vivio carefully after her comment. She glanced down at the armchair and over to the couch, and then across the room where Vivio had pointed.

"It's fine," Vivio finally said, unable to stand the awkwardness she caused with her joke any longer. "You don't need one. Television is pointless anyway."

"I never have been interested much in it, honestly," Einhart responded. "I've never really had time to watch it."

"So do you live alone?" Vivio asked next.

Einhart nodded. "Yes. I just moved in here about a week ago. I wanted to be closer to the gym and school from where I lived before with my parents."

"How can you afford this place by yourself?"

"Well, I had saved up some money when I worked in high school, and I recently took out some student loans. I just did what I had to do," Einhart replied.

"Well, that doesn't sound like much fun," Vivio commented.

"Life isn't about fun and games all the time, Vivio."

Vivio leaned forward on the couch to pick up a water bottle. "You think I don't know that? I know you think I'm just some fuck-up now, but I wasn't always like this, okay?"

"So what happened that made you what you are today, then?" Einhart asked, and she sat back in the armchair to get comfortable.

"Well..." Vivio began. "I guess things got bad when my mother caught me trying to have sex with my other mother a year ago."

Einhart choked on the water that she had just taken a drink of, and she looked at Vivio harshly as she wiped her mouth. "Don't say weird stuff like that, Vivio! I can't tell when you're joking or not."

Vivio scratched her cheek and smiled a little in embarrassment. "It's actually not a joke. It was my adopted mother, Fate. She, uh... Well, she is a soldier in the military, and things got pretty screwed up when she was on leave last year."

"So was she with your other mother in a relationship? I guess I don't quite understand," Einhart replied.

"No," Vivio shook her head. "My mother, Nanoha, didn't want to be in a relationship with her. She told me once when I was growing up that she didn't want to be a 'soldier's wife', as she put it."

"That must have been hard on Fate, though?" Einhart guessed.

"Yeah, it was," Vivio confirmed. "My mother... She was always dating someone, going from relationship to relationship. Almost like she was trying to prove to herself that she didn't need to be with Fate, you know? Fate would always try to be supportive of her, but I think it nearly killed her inside to see my mother with other people."

"So what about the part about you trying to sleep with her?"

Vivio looked down as she recalled the night that Fate left. "Um..." she began, and she felt the words catch in her throat. She then looked up and smiled uncomfortably at Einhart. "I guess I was trying to give Fate what my mother wouldn't. It seems ridiculous now, but at the time I thought I was trying to help her get past my mother. I wanted to protect her, in a way. I still do."

Einhart shook her head. "I don't think that's ridiculous, Vivio."

"My mother walked in and saw us on the couch together, and Fate ended up leaving that night after a huge fight. We haven't spoken since. It's been a little over a year, and I just kinda gave up after she stopped talking to us."

Einhart abruptly stood up from the armchair she was sitting in. "Thank you for sharing that with me, Vivio. I know it must not have been easy to talk about."

Vivio stood up from the couch in response, and she was unsure if this was a cue for her to leave or not. "Y-Yeah, no problem."

Einhart pointed down at the couch now behind Vivio. "You may sleep there if you wish, at least for now. You can pay for half of the utilities and a portion of the rent, and buy your own food and anything else you need."

"Wait, what?!" Vivio cried in disbelief as she looked behind her. "Are you sure? You barely know me. I don't want to intrude on you or anything."

"It is your decision," Einhart replied. "I could use the help paying bills here."

"Oh. Well, I accept the offer then. As long as you're sure it's okay?"

Einhart turned towards the kitchen. "I would not have offered if it wasn't." Vivio watched as Einhart pulled open one of the drawers beside the sink in the kitchen, and she retrieved something from inside. She held it in her hand as she approached Vivio again in the living room.

"What's this?" Vivio asked as Einhart placed the object in her palm..

"A key to the front door. I'm not here at the apartment very much. Just make sure the deadbolt is locked whenever you leave."

"Right. Well, I guess I should go get some of my things from my mom's house then?" Vivio mentioned awkwardly as she started heading towards the front door. She placed her hand on the doorknob, but paused as she looked back at Einhart.

"Since this is your place, do you have any rules or anything for me?" Vivio asked.

Einhart turned her head to the side in confusion. "Rules?"

"Well, yeah. Things you do or don't want me to do around here?"

"Yes. Pay your bills on time and clean up after yourself," Einhart replied. "If you can't figure out how to take care of yourself after that, then that's your problem."

"Got it," Vivio replied as she pulled open the front door. "I'll see you later, Einhart."

**oOOOo**

Vivio walked carefully around her mother's spare vehicle that was parked in the garage, and she began searching for containers to pack her belongings in. She eventually located a pile of flattened cardboard boxes behind one of the shelves that ran along the wall. As she slid them out carefully to avoid knocking anything off the shelves, she heard a car door shut outside. A few moments later, she heard the front door open and someone enter into the house.

"Vivio?" her mother's voice called out from inside.

"Damnit..." Vivio muttered under her breath. She had been hoping to avoid seeing her mother that day, but there was no way out of the garage without being detected.

Vivio held the cardboard boxes under one arm as she exited the garage door, and she found her mother standing in the kitchen. Nanoha turned in surprise at the sound of the door opening, and she glanced down at the boxes in Vivio's hands.

"Hey, Mama," Vivio cautiously greeted.

"Your school called and said you were absent today," Nanoha informed her. "I thought I would come check and see if you were here."

"Just for now," Vivio replied. "I'm here to get a few things from my room before I leave. I'll try to get as much out as I can today."

Nanoha leaned against the counter next to her. "You know, Vivio... I was really upset last night when I said what I did. But you are my daughter, and I have a responsibility to make sure you are taken care of. You don't have to leave."

Vivio paused as she contemplated her mother's words, and the boxes shifted a little bit under her arm. She looked past her mother into the unlit kitchen, and visions of happier times with Fate and their time together as a family in that room came to her mind briefly. She shook her head to clear away the thoughts.

"I can't stay here, Mama," she replied quietly.

"Why not?" Nanoha countered.

"Because nothing will change if I do. Fate is never coming back, and it hurts too much to stay here knowing that."

Nanoha looked to the kitchen counter and fought back the tears that were threatening to fall. "I can't change that, Vivio. I'm sorry."

"I am too. Look, I found a job and a place to live. And I can still do MMA. I'll do my best to figure out school, but I'm not sure what's going to happen with it, honestly."

"So, you're really leaving then?" Nanoha asked, and she bitterly wiped away a few tears that manage to escape.

"Yes, I have to."

Nanoha rubbed her eyes and moaned a little in frustration. "God, I can't stand this! How did we even get to this point?"

Vivio set the boxes down on the ground. "Really, Mama? Do you want to have that discussion, or do you just want to avoid it again like we usually do?"

Sapphire eyes flashed when Nanoha pulled her hands away from her face. "What? Is this where you blame me again for her leaving? Just save it, Vivio."

"No. You need to hear this. She deserved better than what you did to her," Vivio replied.

"You think I don't regret everything now? You think that I don't wish everyday that I could go back in time and tell myself to stop being so selfish? Yes, she and I should have been together from the start. But it's too late now, isn't it?"

"I was talking about the way you flaunted your other relationships in front of her the whole time. You didn't even care about her feelings, did you?!" Vivio yelled.

"Well, she certainly paid me back for that, didn't she?!" Nanoha shouted back. "Sleeping with my own daughter in my house... I think that's pretty good revenge, don't you?"

"Yeah, it was," Vivio confirmed, and Nanoha clenched her fists tightly in response. "At least you finally understood what she was feeling all those years."

Nanoha grabbed Vivio's by the arm and glared at her. "Were you really sleeping with her, Vivio? I don't believe that you were, honestly. Just tell me the truth."

Vivio pulled away and picked up the cardboard boxes at her feet. "It doesn't really make a difference now, does it?"

"Just get out," Nanoha growled, and she walked passed Vivio and exited the kitchen towards the living room.

Vivio climbed the stairs and entered her bedroom, she hastily threw her most important clothes and toiletries into one of the boxes. She knew she would have to make time to get the rest of her things later, but she wanted to get out of the house before another argument with her mother could occur.

Nanoha was nowhere in sight as Vivio descended the stairs back into the kitchen. She left the house with her single box of belongings quietly, and she headed back to Einhart's apartment as quickly as she could.

**oOOOo**

_~Afghanistan, Present Day~_

Fate was currently in the middle of her graveyard shift at the entrance station to the base when she heard footsteps in the dirt approaching the building. She had just completed her mid-shift checklist when she felt warm arms embrace her from behind.

"Hey, Fate! Guess what? Guess what?!" the familiar voice exclaimed.

"Hey, Ginga! What's up?" she replied as she turned around in her swivel chair to face her friend. Ginga held a piece of paper out in front of her for Fate to see.

"They are sending us home on leave in two weeks! Isn't that awesome?" she replied.

Fate attempted to muster up excitement at the announcement. "Oh, yeah? That's... great."

"Well, that's not quite the response I expected," Ginga frowned.

"Sorry, but you know how it is for me back home."

Ginga placed a hand on her shoulder and met her eyes. "Then come hang out with me at my parent's place. We can keep each other company."

"Well, maybe? How are Genya and Quint doing, by the way?"

"They're good," Ginga replied. "Nove still lives there with them there, too. She's a lot of fun. Come on, just go back with me!"

Fate paused and weighed her options, and the thought of a break from the current tour did sound good. She smiled genuinely at her blue-haired companion in front of her. "Alright then, Ginga. I'm in."

* * *

**A/N:** Well, then... So, I'll update when I can. See you then! ~Nissanity~


	4. Chapter 4 - The Tangled Web We Weave

**A/N: **Okay, had to do one more chapter +^..^+ To **StEpHyGrOcK3107**, Vivio is adopted by Nanoha and Fate at the age of five, like she was in the original MGLN universe. That puts Vivio at 17 now, and Nanoha and Fate around 31 years old.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******SURRENDER REFLEX**

**by : ~Nissanity~**

******Chapter 4 – ****__****The Tangled Web We Weave**

* * *

_~Flashback, 13 months prior~_

"Did you want some popcorn, Fate?"

Vivio looked over at the blond, who was currently lying on her back on the couch with her calves resting on top of Vivio's thighs, completely engrossed in the movie they were watching. After realized she would not be getting a response to her question, Vivio set the bowl down on Fate's stomach.

"Huh? Oh, right. Thanks," Fate said as she took a few pieces and popped them in her mouth.

"God, you are just like a kid," Vivio mentioned as she picked the bowl back up and placed on the coffee table in front of her.

"Yep, I try," Fate replied. She grinned at the younger girl before returning her vision to the screen.

Vivio brought her hand down to lay on one of Fate's shins, and she began to run her hand up Fate's leg until it came to rest on her lower thigh. Fate glanced down at the motion, and then up to Vivio's face.

"Vivio...?" Fate began.

"Hmmm?"

"You can't be doing stuff like that," she said.

Vivio began to run her fingers along the inner seams of her jeans. "Why's that? Afraid you can't hold back before I turn eighteen?" she taunted.

Fate reached over to the coffee table and picked up the remote to pause the movie. She then sat up to speak to Vivio directly, and she grabbed her hand to stop it from moving up any farther. "I've told you before that when you graduated high school and were of legal age, I would _consider_ it. But this isn't going to happen here at your mother's house whatsoever."

"We can go rent a hotel room if you're that worried about it. Seriously, what difference will a year and a half make?" she pressed.

Fate sighed in exasperation. "Well, for one thing, I'm not interested in getting thrown in jail or losing my career over this. Or dealing with your mother if she found out. It's bad enough that we are sleeping in the same bed together every night."

Vivio looked away. "I know. It's just... you have those nightmares all the time. I don't think it's right that you are alone when it happens is all."

"I know," Fate said as she placed her hand affectionately behind Vivio's head. "And I'm grateful for that. But please be more patient when it comes to this sort of thing, okay? If it's meant to be between us, then it will be."

Vivio nodded, and then turned to face Fate more directly. She wrapped her arms around her neck to hug her, and Fate returned the warm embrace.

"Sorry, it's just really hard to be patient sometimes," Vivio said as she squeezed her arms around her tighter.

Fate pulled away from Vivio and laid back down on the couch, and she covered her eyes with her arm. "Then you should find someone else your own age, Vivio. So that you don't have to wait."

It wasn't until Fate felt Vivio hovering over her on the couch that she realized she had just let her guard down too much around the fearless teenager. She moved her arm away from her eyes and tried to sit up, but Vivio guided her back down with her hand on her shoulder.

"I don't want someone else my age, Fate. I want _you_," she informed her.

"Vivio, this isn't - " Fate tried to protest, but Vivio pressed her lips to hers before she could finished the sentence. Fate didn't kiss her back, but she didn't make any motions to stop it for a few seconds either. She finally squeezed her eyes shut, and she placed her hands on Vivio shoulders and pushed her away.

"This has to stop," Fate told her.

Vivio grabbed Fate's hand from her shoulder and placed it on top of one of her breasts. "So stop it, then," she countered.

Fate glanced down at her hand and then up at Vivio, who was intently watching the blond's reaction. When she didn't feel Fate try to pull away, Vivio pressed her hand into her breast more. She smiled to herself when she felt Fate slowly reposition her hand to cup it after a moment. She placed her other hand on top to keep it in it's new place.

"See? It's okay, Fate," she said softly. "You don't have to fight this."

Fate paused a few seconds more, and then shook her head in resistance. She was about to pull her hand away when she looked over to her right and saw Nanoha unexpectedly walk into the living room. Nanoha stopped in her tracks when she saw her and Vivio in the compromising position on the couch, and Fate had never seen her best friend angrier than at that moment.

"Oh, shit! Nanoha!" she yelled.

**oOOOo**

_~Present Day~_

"Einhart, hurry up! Your breakfast is going to get cold!" Vivio called out loudly from the small dining table in the apartment.

"I'm standing right here, Vivio," Einhart replied from behind her in the kitchen.

Vivio spun around in her seat. "Oh, oops! Sorry, I didn't hear you come in from your bedroom."

Einhart poured herself a cup of coffee and joined Vivio the few feet away at the table. She looked down at food Vivio had prepared that morning for them in curiosity.

"Is this french toast?" she asked of the wedges and brightly colored fruit in front of her.

"Yeah. It's vegan, of course," Vivio replied. "I used soy milk and tofu instead of milk and eggs, but you can't really taste the difference."

Einhart placed her napkin neatly on her lap. "I'm am grateful for any food you make for us to eat, Vivio," she replied. "I feel like I've been spoiled these last few weeks."

Vivio grinned at her roommate's compliment. "I'm glad to hear it. I learned to cook a little from my mother."

"So, how did school go this week?" Einhart asked as she picked up her fork.

"Oh, school!" Vivio replied as she covered her mouth after taking a bite. She waited to finish chewing before talking again. "So I talked to one of my instructor's, Shari, and she told me there is just no way I can graduate this year after everything that has happened."

Einhart paused and stared dumbfounded at Vivio. "Why do you sound happy about it? That's terrible."

"Because of this!" she replied. Vivio reached into her bookbag hanging on the back one of the dining room chairs and retrieved a large book, and on the cover was big black letters that read "_Complete GED Preparation_."

Einhart eyed the book. "Oh, I see. Well, that's actually not a bad idea. I know you're smart enough to pass the test, if you study enough."

"I hope so," Vivio replied. "There's only one problem, though. I can't be enrolled in a school to take it. And I would need a legal guardian's permission to drop out, since I'm not eighteen yet."

"Do you think your mother will agree to it?"

Vivio shrugged. "I'd have to talk to her about it, I guess. I would have to prove to her I was serious though, and not just dropping out because I'm a screw up."

"You're not a screw up, Vivio. I think your mother would be very proud of what you have done in just these past few weeks. I know I am," she told her. Einhart continued eating her breakfast without looking away from her plate, unaware of the impact of the words she had just spoken.

Vivio's fork hovered over her food as she looked over at her roommate in slight disbelief at her comment. It was the first time someone had said kind words about her efforts like that in recent memory. Einhart glanced up from her breakfast when she felt Vivio staring at her.

"What?"

"Um... nothing. I was just... Oh, I was just wondering if you were going go to Nove's tonight?" she asked, changing the subject. "She is holding pick-up matches again."

"I have class tonight. Plus, I'm not sure if I should be competing in those, honestly," she replied.

"Can you come after your class?" Vivio pressed. "You can watch me if you make it in time? You don't have to fight if you don't want to."

Einhart stared at the table as she considered the proposal, and then nodded her head in agreement. "Okay, Vivio, I'll go. When Nove invited me to them yesterday at the gym, she told me that her sister was coming back today from overseas. Do you know her?"

"Ginga?" Vivio asked.

"Yeah, that's it. Nove was really excited that she was back into town. I guess I'll be meeting her tonight at their house."

Vivio smiled. "You'll like her, I think. I've known her since I was a kid." Vivio then glanced down at her watch, and shot up from her chair abruptly. "Oh, shit! I'm going to be late for work. I'm sorry, Einhart, but I really have to go."

Einhart stood up and grabbed the two empty plates and started walking to the kitchen. "I'll clean up since you cooked. It would be bad if you were late."

Vivio crossed the room to the front door, and as she reached for the doorknob she turned her attention back to her roommate now standing at the sink. "Hey, Einhart. Um... Thanks. For everything," she said.

Einhart glanced over her shoulder at Vivio, and then looked down at the kitchen counter beside her. "You're welcome, Vivio."

"See you tonight!" Vivio added cheerfully as she opened the front door and exited the apartment.

**oOOOo**

"Oh... my god..." Ginga said breathlessly as she lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling. "That was... unbelievable."

Fate kissed the inside of Ginga's thigh and leaned her head against it, and the two attempted to come down from their frenzied love-making session that had just occurred. Ginga had already satisfied Fate twice in the course of fifteen minutes, and it did not take long for the other woman to reach the peaks of ecstasy with Fate's head firmly positioned between her legs.

The two had made it to the bedroom after a series of long flights home that had started 36-hours prior, and an attempt at taking a nap that afternoon quickly dissolved into the current situation. Fate and Ginga had spent most of the flights talking about what they missed most about home, and sex was the subject they had spent most of their time discussing. They casually joked about the convenience of friends-with-benefits, and the mutual eye contact shared afterward confirmed that this could be a possible arrangement between the two.

Fate crawled up to the top of the bed and fell back onto the pillow next to Ginga after she had recovered. "I hope we weren't too loud?" she mentioned.

"No, it's fine. No one is home right now. Speaking of which..." she mentioned, and then reached over Fate to retrieve her cellphone from the stand next to the bed. The phone had vibrated quite a few times while they had been in the throws of passion, causing them both to laugh during one point at the stream of interruptions.

Ginga checked her phone for new text messages, and after a moment she frowned at the screen. "I see..." she muttered.

"What is it?" Fate asked.

"Oh, Nove said she is having some people over tonight, but they should be staying in the basement most of the time," she replied.

"Maybe we should consider getting a hotel room instead?"

Ginga contemplated the idea. "We might? I want to see my family, but I don't really want to deal with a bunch of drunk, unruly people here tonight. Plus, it would be nice to enjoy 'this' a little bit more later."

"Not that I would want to argue with 'this', but..." Fate began.

"But...?"

"I just want to make sure that you know I'm not out for anything complicated."

Ginga chuckled. "Fate, we are two consenting adults who have been stuck in the middle of the nowhere for over a year. I think we can be granted a little time to relax however we want, without any hangups."

"You are very persuasive, Ginga. I'm starting to think you planned this whole thing."

"It's a good thing you ended up being amazing in bed then, or else this would have been a total wasted effort," she joked back. "Look, I know you are in love with someone else, and so am I. And besides, the only person's baggage that is worse than yours in the room, is mine."

Fate nodded solemnly. "That is true. Your baggage makes mine look like a carry-on."

"Oh my god!" Ginga laughed as she fell back on the pillow. "That might be the worst joke I've heard in a while."

"Thanks, I try," Fate smiled.

"Are you hungry? We could go grab a beer and something to eat?" .

"That sounds good. Although, I think it's still my turn?" Fate mentioned.

"Your turn? What do you – ahn! Ummm," Ginga moaned when Fate unexpectedly grazed her teeth slightly over one of her sensitive nipples.

"Unless you just want to go get something to eat instead?" Fate then teased and started pulling away. Ginga immediately pulled Fate's head back down to her chest.

"Don't start something you can't finish, Fate," she contested. Fate happily complied with the command, and it was not long before Ginga's moans and gasps were echoing through the room once again that afternoon.

**oOOOo**

"Vivio, you made it! I was starting to get worried," Nove greeted at the front door that evening at the house.

"Yeah, sorry!" Vivio replied. "The gym always takes longer to clean up on the weekends."

Nove wrapped her arm around the younger girls shoulders. "Well, guess what? I have a surprise for you. There is someone down in the basement who wants to see you."

Vivio smiled. "Did Einhart make it here already?"

"Well that wouldn't be a big deal, now would it? Considering that you two live together," Nove laughed. "Come on, let's head down there. Oh hey, did you want something to drink beforehand?" she asked as she walked the two into the kitchen.

"Um, no, I'm good thanks," Vivio declined. "I've actually been sober for two weeks now."

Nove looked down at her friend fondly. "Well, in that case I won't push it. How about some water instead?"

"Yes, please." As Vivio watched Nove grab a few bottle waters from one of the ice chests in the kitchen, she racked her brain as to who would want to see her. Nove led Vivio down the basement stairs afterward, and it wasn't long before Vivio spotted who the host had been alluding to.

"Sieg!" Vivio cried from the stairs. Sieg turned around on her crutches at the sound of her name being called, and she smiled genuinely as Vivio approached her. Vivio gave the raven-haired girl the best hug she could without throwing the girl off-balance.

"Vivio, I'm so glad to see you!" she replied. "My mother finally said I wasn't grounded anymore. I wanted to talk to you sooner, but she wouldn't let me."

"How's the ankle?" Vivio asked, and looked down at the walking cast that was on her leg.

"I've been doing everything the doctor said I should, so hopefully I'll recover soon. Even if I was only eighty-five percent after this, I would still be happy. So, how are you doing?"

"Well, my life got pretty bad after the party," Vivio said honestly. "But it seems like things have gotten a little better. I got a job at the gym, and I'm living with Einhart now."

"Einhart...?" Sieg questioned, and Vivio noticed a darker expression cross her features. "What, is she like your girlfriend now or something?"

"Girlfriend...? Why would you - ?"

Sieg waved her hand in interruption. "Sorry, that was stupid. I should be happy for you, if that's the case."

Vivio giggled at the insinuation. "What? Look, I sleep on the couch at her apartment, and we don't see each other much except for like in the mornings. But I do respect her a lot. She gave me a chance when I needed it the most."

"Oh. Shit, I'm sorry, Vivio. I shouldn't have gotten jealous," Sieg replied. "It's just been hard not being able to see you."

Vivio leaned up to the girl and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. "I know. I missed you too, Sieg."

"Did you want to get a drink, by the way? I'm already a few in, but I could use another one, I think."

"No, I don't think so. But thank you," Vivio replied.

"Are you sure? Not for old time's sake?"

Vivio paused as she contemplated the offer, and look towards the stairs leading to the kitchen. "Well..."

Nove came up from behind suddenly and tackled Vivio. "Hey, I have someone who wants a match with you tonight, Vivio."

"Who's that?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Miura. Do you remember her from our gym? She has never been here before, but she is pretty good."

Vivio glanced over at the girl who had challenged her across the room, and Miura saluted her in greeting. "Yeah, that will work for me. But can it wait until Einhart shows up? She should be here soon."

"Yeah, that's fine. We have some other matches lined up before anyway. Oh by the way, Ginga just texted me," she added. "She is out at dinner with someone now, but she should be back soon."

"Oh, okay. I'm excited to see her," she replied. "It's been forever."

"Yep. Apparently she brought someone back with her on leave, but she won't tell me who it is. She says it's a surprise, whatever that means. Maybe she has a girlfriend now or something?"

"Nove!" one of the guests called out from across the room.

"Hey, gotta go. Matches are starting now. Let me know when you are ready."

"So Sieg, I -" Vivio began as she turned back to where the girl had been standing previously, but found the space now empty. She looked over to the stairs and noticed Sieg ascending them slowly, and she figured she was on her way to the kitchen to get another drink. Vivio opted not to join her, and instead stayed to watch the fights instead as she waited for Einhart to arrive.

The matches went rather quickly, with the less experienced people trading few jabs and not being able to effectively pin each other on the ground. Most of fights ended in a draw with the opponents both becoming too exhausted to carry on before a winner could be declared. Sieg had remained upstairs the entire time, and Vivio was a little disappointed when she was called up to fight next and Einhart had not arrived yet.

"Sorry, Vivio. I waited as long as I could," Nove told her as the two entered into the fighting circle.

Vivio shook her head and starting putting her gloves on. "It's fine. I appreciate it, though." She punched the two gloves together to ensure their fit on her hands, and started bouncing around in place to warm up.

As Vivio assumed her defensive stance, she noticed movement in the crowd to her left. She glanced over, and a winded Einhart had pushed her way through to the front just in time for the fight to begin. Vivio beamed and waved at her roommate, and Einhart nodded her head in response.

"Good luck, Vivio," she heard Einhart say over the noise of the audience, which had started cheering louder with the more experienced fighters now ready to begin their round.

"And, go!" Nove yelled. She then went to stand next to Einhart as the fight began.

Vivio decided to test her opponents ability to defend against her punches, and as she threw an array of straight jabs and crosses at her head and body, she was impressed by Miura's ability to anticipate and block most of them. Vivio stepped back, and Miura attempted a series of kicks at her abdomen and thighs. Vivio felt a sting in her leg when Miura landed a side kick that Vivio did not see coming.

Vivio charged forward and hit Miura in the stomach with her shoulder in response, sending them both toppling to the ground. She was quickly in between the girls legs, landing punches on her head and torso as Miura held her arms up over her face defensively. Miura managed to get a foot into Vivio's chest and kicked her off, sending her flying across the mat onto her back.

Miura was back on her feet quickly, and Vivio rolled backwards so that she could stand up as well. She glanced for a second over in the direction of Einhart and Nove in the crowd, and she spotted Nove's adopted sister Ginga now standing next to her. Nove looked panicked, and it was only when Vivio looked past Ginga to the woman standing next to her did Vivio understand why Nove had that expression.

"Fate...?" Vivio breathed, and for the first time in her life she felt as if her world had stopped turning. The blond, who was staring back at her in disbelief as well, became the only thing that registered in Vivio's mind in that moment.

"Vivio! Shit, look out!" someone yelled, and Vivio's vision went black for a second as Miura came crashing into her, tackling them both to the ground. Vivio was dazed as Miura began to pummel her, and she caught a glance of Fate and Ginga now leaving the basement and heading back upstairs.

"Get the fuck off of me!" Vivio screamed. She stood up and grabbed Miura by the arm, pulling her over her shoulder and slamming her into the mat. Vivio unleashed a torrent of punches at Miura's unprotected face, who was in a daze from the impact against the floor. Nove and Einhart had to pull Vivio off of her after a few moments when she wouldn't stop attacking her opponent.

"That's enough!" Nove shouted as Vivio tried to struggle out of her grasp. "Just calm down!"

Vivio finally stopped resisting, and Nove let go of her. She immediately headed for the stairs to chase after Fate.

"Vivio, wait!" Einhart yelled as she followed after her into the kitchen.

Vivio didn't see Fate from the top of the stairs, and she ran into the living room next. She glanced over at the couch, and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Sieg kissing an unknown girl from the party beside her.

"Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me?!" Vivio shouted down at them. Sieg looked up and grinned at her, and Vivio recognized the bloodshot eyes that signified that Sieg was completely wasted.

"Hey, Vivio!" she slurred. "How did the fight go?"

Vivio threw her hands up in the air. "God damnit! I don't have time for this!"

"If you're looking for Fate, she left a minute ago," Wendi informed her from across the room. "I think her and Ginga were headed back to their hotel room."

Vivio grabbed her hands to her head as she felt her world crashing down around her. "This can't be happening," she muttered. She placed her hand over her mouth as she glanced around at everyone in the room with wide eyes. She then looked to the kitchen and spotted the assortment of liquor bottles sitting on the cabinet. She made a beeline for them, and she did everything in her power to fight back tears that were threatening to fall as she got closer to them.

She fumbled through the cabinet and found a shotglass first and slammed it on the counter. She grabbed the first bottle she saw and poured cheap tequila into it, spilling quite a bit onto the counter in the process. She was posed to take the shot, but a sudden hand on her forearm halted her before she could succeed.

"Vivio... Stop..." Einhart said to her calmly. Vivio first stared at Einhart's hand, and then looked up and met her eyes. Einhart had a look of earnestness and sincerity in them, and Vivio allowed herself to crumble under her steady gaze. She moved the few feet towards her and buried her head into her shoulder, and she let the tears she had been holding back fall against her shirt.

Einhart had initially tensed up with the unexpected contact, but after a moment Vivio felt the taller girl relax under her. Vivio wrapped her arms around her, and Einhart eventually returned the gesture, affectionately patting her head as she sobbed for a few moments.

"I just wanted to talk to her," Vivio mentioned after she had calmed down considerably. She pulled away from Einhart and wiped her eyes as she stared at the ground.

"I know," Einhart replied. "But just try to be patient. I'm sure she was just surprised to see you is all."

Vivio nodded, and she grabbed Einhart's hand and started guiding the two of them out of the kitchen. "You're right. Let's just go, before I do anything stupid here."

As Vivio and Einhart walked through the living room and to the front door, Sieg noticed Vivio's hand still grasping Einhart's, and she drunkenly stood up from the couch. "I fucking knew it, Vivio! You're such a bitch!" she accused.

Vivio turned to face Sieg. "Have a nice life, you fucking loser," Vivio replied as she pulled open the front door and led Einhart out of the house.

"Well that was a bit harsh, Vivio," Einhart scolded as they walked down the driveway. "What was she talking about anyway?"

Vivio let go of Einhart's hand. "Just a misunderstanding is all. She won't remember in the morning anyway. It's fine."

"So what are you going to do now? Are you going to try to contact Fate?"

"Well..." Vivio began, and she weighed what she should do next in the situation. "Actually, no. I think that I'll let her come find me if she wants to talk to me. I caused her a lot of pain in the past, and I'm not going to push myself on her anymore."

Vivio felt Einhart's hand enter into hers again, and she glanced down in surprise at the gesture. "I'm sure that is a wise decision," Einhart said, and she squeezed Vivio's hand in encouragement.

"Thanks, Einhart," she replied. "Alright, then. Let's go home."

**oOOOo**

Fate and Ginga entered into their rented hotel room that evening, and Fate sat down on the edge of the bed in defeat.

"I really am sorry about that, Fate," Ginga said to her. "I had no idea that Nove hung out with Vivio. Or that they did crazy fights like that in the basement."

Fate shook her head. "It's fine. It just took me by surprise to see her is all. I probably shouldn't have left like that."

"It's okay. I doubt a conversation would have gone well under those circumstances anyway. I'm sure you two can work this out soon."

"Yeah, about that..." Fate replied, and she looked away from Ginga. "There is something I haven't told you about the situation with Vivio and me."

Ginga sat down on the bed next to her. "Well, this should be good."

Fate rolled her eyes. "It's not. See, part of the problem is, I wasn't exactly innocent in the situation either."

"Did you sleep with Vivio?!" Ginga shouted.

"What? No! I mean, there was a chance I was going to. Maybe."

Ginga remained silent, and Fate eventually looked over at her cautiously. She was met by eyebrows raised expectantly at her, and Fate gathered her courage for the confession.

"I promised Vivio I would give her a chance when she turned eighteen," Fate finally informed her.

"Wow," Ginga replied. "Just... Wow. Well, congratulations, your baggage now officially outweighs mine."

"Well, I doubt she would be interested anymore after the way I left. But there's always the chance she might."

"You can just tell her I'm your girlfriend or something?" Ginga suggested. "Make it so that there is no option for her?"

Fate sighed and laid down on the bed. "Shit, I don't know..." she muttered.

Ginga laughed, and then got up and straddle Fate's waist. "Oh, ho, ho! Unless you do want her like that, you perverted old woman!" she teased.

"Old woman?!" she repeated as she sat up and grabbed her around the waist. "I'm 31 years old. And so are you!"

"_Tsk_, don't remind me," Ginga replied. "Seriously though, why would make a promise like that? You loved Nanoha, despite everything she did to you."

"Yeah, but... She didn't want me the same way. And it seemed right at the time, I guess. I know I screwed this all up with Vivio, but I don't want to make the wrong decision here by breaking that promise, if she still wants me to honor it."

Ginga hummed as she contemplated the situation. "Just go talk to her and see what she thinks. That's all you can do. You may be surprised?"

Fate nodded in agreement, and then tightened her embrace around Ginga. She twisted her so that she was now laying on the bed on her back, and Fate moved herself on top of her.

"Sorry Fate, it turns out I'm too old for you," Ginga teased as Fate started to kiss her on the neck. "We should just call it a night." She then gasped a little when Fate bit her earlobe.

"You're right. We should stop," Fate replied as she pulled up Ginga's shirt. "How could I possibly find someone like you attractive?"

Ginga pulled Fate down to kiss her. "Okay, shut up. No more talking."

"Alright, sounds good to me," Fate replied as she reached up and turned off the light above them.

* * *

**A/N:** The next chapter will have some NanoFate drama happening in it, FYI. See you then! ~Nissanity~


	5. Chapter 5 - Learning the Rules

**A/N: **Okay, so after I posted Chapter 4 of this story, things got a little controversial in the review section it seems. I decided that the only thing I could do on my end now is finish this story as soon as possible as a resolution. I have written this story to its completion (9 chapters total), and I will post updates as I go back and proofread the chapters these next few days. I'll be using the same method with my older stories in the future to finish them as well. I will have more notes at the bottom as I address my thoughts on an author's responsibilities to readers, and about inspiration for stories in general.

A special thank you to all the positive and thoughtful comments about me as a writer and this story in the reviews, by the way! I have read and reread them several times, and I assure you they have kept me motivated these past few days, as I wrote the remainder of this story pretty much in one sitting.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******SURRENDER REFLEX**

**by : ~Nissanity~**

******Chapter 5 – ****__****Learning the Rules of the Game**

* * *

_~Flashback, 13 months prior~_

"_Yes, umm-hmm... We need that as soon as possible..._"

Nanoha could hear her platoon commander's voice on the phone in the hallway as she approached the open door to her office, and Hayate looked up and motioned her to come inside once she was standing in the doorway. She then held up her index finger to signify that needed just another moment to conclude her phone call.

"Okay, sure... Alright, talk to you later," Hayate said before she hung up the phone. She placed the receiver back on the cradle, and looked up cautiously at her angry friend now sitting in the chair across from her.

"Where is she?" Nanoha asked directly.

"Well, I'd ask who you were talking about, but there is no point in playing dumb," Hayate replied as she leaned back in her office chair and folded her hands in her lap.

"She hasn't been home for three days, and her mother came for her things yesterday. I just... I want to talk to her."

"Nanoha... she's gone."

"Gone? What does that mean, gone?

"Look, I honestly don't know what happened the other night between you two," Hayate continued, "but she volunteered to be deployed as soon as possible. She said she didn't care where it was."

"What, so you just let her go?! Is that even possible?" Nanoha cried as she threw her hands in the air.

"I didn't have a choice. She went through all the proper channels. And it's not like there are trained security personnel lining up to be shipped to the Middle East. They weren't going to deny her request."

"The Middle East?" Nanoha repeated. "Seriously, do you have any idea how many times she has come close to being killed over there?"

"What would you like me to say, Nanoha? I can't just bring her back."

Nanoha abruptly stood up from her chair and came to stand behind the desk. She used her hip to bump the office chair out of the way a little with Hayate still in it, and she began to access the base's information network from the terminal on her commander's desk.

Hayate leaned her elbow on her armchair and rested her chin on her hand patiently. "All the information about her deployment has been designated beyond your security clearance," she informed her.

Nanoha slowly stopped tapping the keys, and she looked back at Hayate over her shoulder in disbelief. "Excuse me?"

Hayate stood up from her chair and crossed the room, and she poured herself a much needed cup of coffee. "She has a right to her privacy, Nanoha," she told her, and she cringed internally afterward at the reaction the comment might trigger with the instructor.

"Privacy my ass. I have a right to know!"

"Do you?" Hayate countered.

"Is that some sort of jab at the fact that she and I aren't together? She is still the legal guardian of my daughter."

"You're right, and she has granted your _daughter_ permission to contact her, if she wishes to. Vivio just has to fill out a form requesting the information."

"Like hell I'm going to let her around Vivio now," Nanoha growled.

Hayate walked to door of her office and shut it loudly. "Okay seriously, what the fuck happened the other night between you two? All Fate would tell me is that too many lines had been crossed, and that she no longer had a place in your life."

Nanoha paused as she contemplated discussing what she had witnessed the other night between Fate and Vivio. "I don't want to talk about it," she finally decided.

"Alright then, that's your choice," Hayate replied. She then crossed the room back to her desk and slid the bottom drawer open. "Here is the form for Vivio. It's up to you if you give it to her, quite honestly. I can't make you do it."

Nanoha grabbed the paper from Hayate's hand and left the office without another word. Hayate sat down at her office chair and stared at the open door that Nanoha had just walked through. She considered running after her to see if she could be of any assistance to her friend, but she decided that time and space would be more beneficial at this point until things settled down.

The wastebasket in the hallway beckoned to Nanoha, and she crumpled up the form and tossed it inside as she passed by it. She continued down the hallway at a hurried pace, and she had just exited the door leading outside when the bitter tears she had been holding back were finally allowed to be shed.

**oOOOo**

_~Present Day~_

"Hey Einhart, hold up a minute," Vivio requested as the two climbed the stairs to the apartment. The two had just left Nove's house about fifteen minutes prior, and were now returning home a little past midnight.

"Vivio, what's wrong?" Einhart asked as she turned around at the top of the stairs. Vivio was leaning against the railing, and she looked to have trouble keeping her balance. Einhart walked back down the few steps to stand at Vivio's side.

"Nothing, I just... I have a headache, I guess," she replied.

"Oh. Well, let's get upstairs and you can take some ibuprofen. You might be dehydrated, too."

Vivio made no motion to move from her position against the rail, and she was now fixated on the stair in front of her. Einhart waited a moment, and she eventually put Vivio's arm around her shoulder. The motion seemed to snap her out of her daze, and the two made it upstairs and into the apartment. Einhart guided Vivio to the couch, and she immediately went to the kitchen to retrieve the medicine and a bottle of water.

When she returned, she found Vivio looking at her cell phone on the coffee table with a confused expression on her face. It was only when the blond made motions like she was nodding off to sleep, did Einhart suddenly understand what was going on with her roommate.

"Vivio, let me see your eyes," she instructed quickly. Vivio grinned sloppily as she looked up at her, and her head and body swayed a little. Einhart noticed her heterochromatic eyes were shifting back and forth unnaturally, and they seemed unable to focus on her roommate in front of her. Vivio then giggled and looked around the apartment.

"I don't even remember how we got here," she said jokingly.

Einhart stood up immediately, and she retrieved her cellphone from her sweater pocket. She dialed 911 and waited for the operator to answer, and her eyes never left the disoriented girl on the couch.

"_911. Do you need fire, police, or ambulance?_" the female dispatcher asked.

"Ambulance. I think my roommate has a concussion, and I don't have a way to get her to the hospital," she replied.

"_We will send help right away. Make sure your roommate stays conscious and alert while we talk. What address are you at?_"

As Einhart provided the address and apartment number over the phone, she placed a hand on Vivio's shoulder to keep her steady. The dispatcher requested that Einhart stay on the phone until the ambulance arrived, and that the estimated arrival time for EMS would be five minutes.

"Vivio, don't close your eyes. You need to stay awake," Einhart said as she watched her eyelids start to droop lower.

"It's... hard... I'm so tired," she slurred. "Just let me sleep."

"No, you can't," she told her as she bent down in front of the couch with the phone still at her ear. "Let's talk about something to keep you occupied. Anything."

Vivio unexpectedly leaned forward, and her forehead landed just below Einhart's shoulder. "Hmmm... Why are you so good to me, Einhart?" Vivio drawled.

Einhart tried to steady the deadweight now leaning against her, and she managed to get her free arm under Vivio's arm to hold her up. "It's because I owe you a lot, Vivio. You changed my life a long time ago," she replied.

"Whaddha... mean?"

Einhart pushed Vivio back up into a sitting position and looked at her directly. She knew her injured roommate was starting to become more incoherent, and she was feeling more anxious as the time seemed to drag on before help could arrived.

"When you beat me in the tournament years ago, it changed who I was," she told her. "It made me want to become stronger, and better. You're the reason why I'm so motivated today."

Vivio laughed as she closed her eyes. "Ha! Ahhh... You love me, huh?" she mumbled.

A knock at the door sent Einhart to her feet immediately, and she let Vivio lean back on the couch as she answered the door. She let the two paramedics in, and they began to station themselves around her roommate. Einhart brought the phone back up to her ear that still had the dispatcher on the line.

"The paramedics are here," Einhart informed her.

"_That's good to hear. Thank you for calling,_" she replied before hanging up.

"Do you have a way to contact her family?" one of the paramedics asked over his shoulder.

"Yes. What should I tell them?"

"Tell them we will be transporting her to the hospital off the interstate downtown. They will need to go to the emergency entrance."

Einhart grabbed Vivio's phone from the coffee table and pulled up her contact list. She located the entry listed '_Mama (Nanoha)_' and pressed the call icon. She panicked slightly when it immediately went to voicemail, and she tried redialing it only to get the same result.

"Hello, Nanoha?" she began when the voicemail prompted her. "This is Einhart. Vivio's roommate? I'm sorry, but I think Vivio got a concussion tonight. She is being taken to the hospital downtown off the interstate. The paramedics said you should go to the emergency entrance. I'll keep her phone on me, so call me back as soon as you get this."

There was another knock on the door, and Einhart opened it to find a third paramedic with a large backboard in his hand. "Sorry, I couldn't get the gurney up the stairs. They were too narrow," he told his colleagues.

When Nanoha didn't call back after a few minutes, Einhart pulled up the menu on her own phone. She found Nove's contact entry, and she hesitated for just a moment before she pressed the call button.

"Hello?!" Nove shouted into the receiver over the loud music of the party playing in the background.

"Nove, it's Einhart!" she responded, raising her voice a little.

The volume of the music in the background lessened on the other end, and Einhart assumed that Nove must have stepped outside the house. "What's up?" she finally replied.

"It's Vivio. She is being taken to the hospital right now. I don't know how to get ahold of Fate, but she needs to meet us there as soon as possible."

"Shit, what happened?! Which hospital?"

"The one downtown by the interstate. It is probably a concussion, I think. We are leaving here in a few minutes in the ambulance. Could you get in touch with her through Ginga?"

"Yeah, I'll call her now. I'll kick everyone out of here and meet you guys there, too," she told her.

"Sounds good. I will see you there."

Vivio had been strapped onto the backboard, and the paramedics were preparing to carry her down the stairs. "Are you coming?" one of them asked Einhart as they were heading out the door.

"Yes, of course," Einhart replied. She locked the deadbolt to the front door, and she climbed into the ambulance and sat on the bench seat once Vivio was secured inside. Vivio had fallen unconscious at that point, and Einhart held her hand the entire ride to the hospital with no response from Nanoha.

**oOOOo**

Fate and Ginga hurried to the entrance of the emergency section of the hospital, and they made a path to the receptionist seated at the workstation.

"May I help you?" she asked as the two approached the counter.

"Yes, a girl named Vivio Takamachi was brought in this evening? Where would we go to see her?"

The woman entered Vivio's name into her computer, and paused for a moment to double-check her status. "Yes. Are you friend or family?" she asked.

"Family," Fate replied. "I'm her legal guardian."

"She is the emergency area in one of the beds, currently under observation. There is a waiting area behind there you will go through first," she instructed as pointed to the set of double doors to the left of the lobby.

Fate and Ginga pulled away from the counter. "Thank you," Fate responded.

As the two entered into the waiting room, they discovered Nove sitting in one of the chairs to the right. "Nove!" Ginga greeted as the two exchanged hugs.

"Good to see you, Fate," Nove mentioned next. "Sorry about everything that has happened tonight."

"We'll have to talk about it later," Fate replied. "I would just like to see Vivio for now. Do you know where she is?"

Nove pointed to the solid wood double doors at the end of the waiting room that read '_Authorized Admittance Only.'_ "She's in the third bed in there. They only let a few people in a time, though. Einhart is with her now."

"You go ahead, Fate," Ginga encouraged. "I'll stay out here with Nove."

Fate bent over and kissed Ginga on the cheek. "Thanks. I'll let you know what's going on soon."

A nurse happened to be passing through the waiting room into the emergency area, and Fate flagged her down to ask for admittance inside. The nurse led her to a curtained section in the middle of the room, and she pulled it aside to allow Fate to enter.

Fate recognized the girl from the basement earlier inside, and Einhart looked up nervously from next to the hospital bed. Vivio was still unconscious with a white sheet pulled up to her waist, and she had an oxygen mask covering her mouth and nose.

"Hello," Einhart said quietly.

"Hi. You must be Einhart?" Fate replied.

Einhart nodded. "Yes, I'm Vivio's roommate. It's nice to meet you."

"You, too. I'm Fate, by the way." She made her way to stand on the other side of the bed, and she pushed Vivio's bangs away from her forehead gently as she looked down at her.

"Yes, I know," Einhart replied. "I've heard a lot of about you."

Fate smiled a little at Einhart. "I hope it's not all bad," she replied. The two paused a moment and looked away from each other, and focused on the girl in between them instead.

"So you're her roommate, you said?" Fate eventually asked. "That means that Vivio doesn't live with Nanoha anymore?"

"No, she doesn't. We've only been living together a few weeks ourselves, though."

Fate only nodded in acknowledgment of the information. She knew it wasn't her place to ask for details, and she wasn't going to put Vivio's roommate in an awkward position in the situation anyway.

"I appreciate you being there as her friend, Einhart," Fate told her. "She has been through a lot. She needs all the good people in her life that she can get."

"Fate, you should know that - " Einhart began, but her comment was interrupted when the curtain was pulled back in front of Vivio's bed again. The sapphire-eyed woman stepped back in complete shock at the sight of Fate by the bed, and Einhart quickly guess that she must be Vivio's mother, Nanoha.

Nanoha's eyes bore into Fate, who returned the gaze steadily as thick tension was instantly created between the two. Einhart glanced between them cautiously, and she was unsure if she should leave the two of them to be alone around Vivio or not.

"Um..." Einhart cautiously began, and Nanoha broke her glare away from Fate and turned her attention to Einhart. Her expression softened significantly as she spoke to her.

"You must be Einhart. I'm Nanoha. It's nice to meet you," she said as she extended her hand towards her.

"Yes, it is good to meet you too," Einhart replied, and then eyed the curtain behind her. "I'll just be out in the waiting room if you need me."

"Thank you, Einhart," Fate added as she exited the curtained area, leaving just the two women alone in the room with their daughter. Nanoha walked to the opposite side of the bed from Fate, and she covered her mouth with her hand as she studied Vivio in her unconscious state.

"Do you know how this happened?" Nanoha asked quietly, her voice breaking a little.

"It was probably during the fight in the basement of Nove's house. One of the girls tackled her pretty hard when she wasn't prepared," she replied.

Nanoha only nodded in response, and she continued to stare at her daughter silently. Fate waited just a moment longer, and then turned to follow the same path Einhart had taken towards the waiting room.

"So, you're just going to leave again, Fate-chan? Is that it?" Nanoha commented before she reached the curtain.

Fate stopped in her tracks, and she spun around quickly to counter the insult. "Is this really the appropriate time to be discussing this, Nanoha?" she replied.

"I haven't seen you in over a year. And who knows when I will be able to talk to you again," Nanoha replied.

Fate approached the bed again to face her. "It didn't have to be like that. If you had allowed Vivio to talk to me, maybe things could have been different."

Nanoha inhaled deeply, but remained silent as she angrily thought of Fate having unbridled access to her daughter after the incident that had ultimately destroyed their family.

Fate leaned over the bed further. "Hayate told me that you knew that Vivio could contact me," she pressed. "You kept her away from me."

"You didn't really leave me much choice, Fate-chan. Not after what happened between you two last year."

Fate scoffed at the insinuation. "You still believe I was sleeping with Vivio after all this time? And you're still not going to let me defend myself?"

"Why would Vivio say that you were then? Why would she lie?" Nanoha countered.

"Because she was a sixteen year old kid! And she thought she was protecting me by saying that. She didn't know what she was doing."

Nanoha crossed her arms as she considered Fate's statement. "If I were to trust that you weren't - " she began.

"Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me?" Fate interrupted.

"Fine, I trust you that you weren't, okay?" Nanoha relented. "I guess that makes everything that happened all my fault, then?"

"It was _all_ of our faults, Nanoha. None of us were perfect angels in all of this."

"So now what, Fate-chan? Where do we go from here?"

Fate looked at Nanoha in disbelief. "Where do we...? Nowhere! It's all gone. Our family is ruined."

Nanoha began to walk towards the end of the bed. "Seriously? You're just going to walk out of our lives again, just like that?" she asked as she approached the blond.

Fate shook her head and stepped away from her. "No, Nanoha. I'm walking out of _your_ life again. I never left Vivio. _You_ caused that when you kept our daughter from contacting me."

"Are you going to tell her what I did, then? Are you going to make me out to be a monster to her?"

"And I should be the monster instead?!" Fate shouted. "If it wasn't for you - !"

"So louuuud..." Fate and Nanoha heard Vivio mutter behind them. Both of their eyes shot over to Vivio, who was now groggily shaking her head. The two women were back on either side of the bed in an instant to tend to her.

"Vivio?" Nanoha called quietly and held her hand. "I'm here, okay?"

Vivio slitted eyes looked over at her on the right side of the bed. "Mama?" Her head turned to the left, and she saw Fate on the other side of the bed.

"Hey, Vivio," Fate greeted softly.

Vivio closed her eyes again and shifted in the bed a little. "I'm so confused? Where am I?" she asked sleepily. Fate reached up and pushed the button to call the nurse for assistance.

"You're in the hospital, sweetie," Nanoha replied. "You have a concussion."

"I'm sorry..." Vivio replied, and she had no control of the tears that began to streak down the side of her face.

"Don't be, Vivio," Fate assured her gently. "We just want to make sure you're okay."

The attending nurse entered through the curtain and came to stand by the equipment that monitored blood pressure and provided intravenous fluids. "So, she's awake?" she said as she double-checked Vivio's vital signs.

"Yes, thank god," Nanoha replied, and squeezed her hand in encouragement.

"Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but visiting hours are over. She can only have one person stay with her here tonight," the nurse informed them.

Fate and Nanoha looked at each other nervously, and then back down at their daughter. Vivio opened her eyes again to glance between the two women skeptically. Fate wasn't about to make Vivio choose between the two of them, but before she could make a motion to leave, Vivio closed her eyes and turned her head away on the pillow.

"I want Einhart," she announced.

"Vivio...?" Nanoha responded slowly, with a sound of disappointment laced in her voice. Fate was equally taken aback with Vivio's decision of her roommate over her mother, but soon realized the potential double-meaning of Vivio's comment about Einhart, however unintentional it might have been.

"I'll go get her, okay?" she told Vivio. She kissed her once on the forehead goodbye before she left, and she walked out of the double doors and reentered the waiting area. She found Nove and Ginga sitting together in a few of the waiting room chairs, and Einhart was buying a drink from a vending machine across the room. She motioned to Ginga and Nove to wait a moment, and she walked across the room to speak with Einhart first.

"She's awake," Fate told her.

Einhart nodded solemnly. "That's a relief," she replied.

"Would you be willing to stay with her tonight? She asked for you."

"Oh..." Einhart responded, and she looked back towards the double doors of the emergency area. "Yes, of course."

"That's good." Fate said as she put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Take good care of her. We'll be back tomorrow to see her, okay?"

Einhart walked to the doors to reenter the emergency area, and Fate turned to speak to Ginga and Nove. "She's awake. Einhart is going to stay with her tonight. We can come back tomorrow during visiting hours."

Ginga wrapped her arms around Fate. "You seem happy?" she mentioned.

Fate pulled back to look at her directly. "I am. You know that promise I had been worried about earlier with Vivio? I don't think it's going to be an issue anymore."

Ginga then put her arm through Fate's and clasped her hand in hers. "I'm glad to hear it. You can tell me more about it in the car."

Einhart made her way back to Vivio's bed once she entered the area, and she was relieved to see Vivio now sitting up in bed with Nanoha beside her. Her mother turned and gave Einhart a sincere smile, and the patted Vivio on the head one last time. "I'll be back tomorrow," she told her.

Vivio made a motion in protest. "Mama..." she began.

Nanoha held up a hand to stop her. "I'm sure you have some tests to go through tomorrow, so there's no choice. I have to be here."

"I guess," Vivio conceded.

"Besides," Nanoha added as she kissed Vivio on the forehead, "I want to be here for you, okay?"

Vivio looked up in shock at her mother's affectionate gesture, and Nanoha met her eyes steadily. She finally relaxed under her mother's gaze. "Okay, Mama. I'll see you tomorrow."

Nanoha relinquished her position next to the bed to Einhart, and she began walking towards the curtain to exit. She glanced back at her daughter once more, and she had to control a surprised gasp as she observed Vivio now hugging Einhart from the bed. Einhart seemed a little unsure on how to return the embrace, but she also looked relieved as her chin rested on Vivio's shoulder.

"_Looks like she made the right choice after all,_" Nanoha thought to herself as she walked towards the double doors to exit the area. She decided she would try to catch Fate in the waiting room to talk to her a little more, if possible. She wasn't comfortable with the way their conversation had ended, and she wanted to try to find some sort of compromise in the situation.

As she pushed one of the heavy doors open, she caught a glimpse of Fate leaving the waiting room to the lobby next door. Ginga's arm was wrapped around hers, and the two were also holding hands. They were smiling and chatting with Nove next to them, and Nanoha felt her stomach drop at the sight. She stopped walking as the waiting room doors closed slowly in front of her, leaving her to watch the two walk through the front lobby together for a few seconds longer.

Nanoha sat down slowly in one of the chairs in the waiting room as she tried to tackle the torrent of emotions that were now consuming her. She didn't feel like jealousy was the correct emotion to describe them, nor was it anger. She couldn't deny that Fate looked happier now than she ever could remember, and Vivio also looked most at ease when she was in the presence of Einhart.

It took her a moment to realize that it was in fact the grief and despair of letting go of the two most important women in her life, and finding out that they were much better off without her. For many years she held the belief that she was the one holding the family together, but when it all fell apart and she lost control of the situation, she finally acknowledged it was her actions that had been destroying it all along.

Nanoha eventually stood up from the chair and humbly retrieved her purse. She slowly walked out of the waiting room and through the lobby exit towards the parking lot, and she started the journey back to her empty home that evening.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, back to the reviews. While it's true that I don't get paid to write here, and I should always follow my inspiration where it leads me, there is a chance that someday I _would_ like to get paid for writing. So balancing inspiration with obligation to the readers is certainly something I could work on. I know the frustration of not seeing a story completed, as it is equally frustrating to have writer's block on a half-complete story (which is what has happened with _Idol Project_, honestly). One of the most difficult things for me to do is to try and jump back and forth between different stories and their varying plots and characterizations though, just for the sake of updating. And I know that is exactly how I jumbled up Fate's characterization in _The Sabers of Il Santi. _

To **Annoyed Reader** specifically, while admittedly your comment felt a bit harsh, I don't mind a challenge from a reader as a chance to grow. I opted to try a new writing method with this story in response to it, even though I know this is not the story some readers preferred that I focused on. And as a result, I now have (what I think) is a better and more productive way for me to write and update. So all in all, I am content with the result of the debate, and I hope everyone else will be too eventually. Thank you again to everyone for your support and feedback through this. Until the next update... ~Nissanity~


	6. Chapter 6 - A Partial Path To Redemption

**A/N: **There will be no more flashbacks from here on out, as the characters have finally turned a corner in their lives, and are starting to let go of the past.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******SURRENDER REFLEX**

**by : ~Nissanity~**

******Chapter 6 –_A Partial Path to Redemption_**

* * *

"Oh, that is disgusting," Nanoha gasped as she gazed up at the television in the hospital room.

Vivio cringed as well, and they watched the people on the screen continue to filter through mounds of garbage and other waste. "Yep... Hey, have you ever known a hoarder, Mama?"

"Thankfully, no. At least not that I -... Aah! Is that a dead cat?!" she suddenly exclaimed.

Vivio laughed and shut off the television. "I can't believe you have never have seen that show before."

Nanoha shook her head. "I never really had time to watch T.V., with work and all. So, how's your head feeling?"

"I still have a bit of a headache," Vivio admitted. "Where you able to get ahold of Signum yet?"

"I did. She said she doesn't want to see you back at the gym for work or practice for at least a week," she replied.

"Oh..." was Vivio's solemn reply. "I guess I let her down again."

"Well, nothing you can do about it now, except to avoid situations like that in the future."

"I'm not going to ever fight at Nove's again, that's for sure," Vivio replied. "I should have just listened to Einhart when she said it was a bad idea."

Nanoha crossed her arms in a huff as she recalled telling Vivio to stay away from the unsanctioned fights half a dozen times already that year. She ultimately decided not to bring it up though, since she knew it might trigger a fight between them, and that was something they had successfully avoided so far that day.

"I like Einhart," Nanoha mentioned instead.

Vivio's head shot up and over to her mother. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, she seems like she has been a good influence on you."

"Yeah, maybe?" Vivio replied. "Like an older sister I never had before, or something."

"Hmmm..." was Nanoha's only reply, and she grinned when she saw Vivio begin to blush a little and fidget with the sheet under her hand.

As if on cue, a soft knock came to the hospital room door, and Einhart cautiously peaked her head inside. "Hello? Is it okay if I come in?" she asked.

"Hey!" Vivio replied. "Come on in."

"Hello, Einhart," Nanoha greeted as well.

"I'm sorry I am running a little late. I overslept a little."

Vivio frowned. "Did you get enough sleep? You didn't even leave here until eight this morning."

"It's okay, Vivio. I feel fine," she assured her. "By the way, I brought the book you asked for."

Vivio glanced cautiously over at her mother as Einhart handed her the bag that contained the GED preparation book. She had planned to approach her mother about the subject that afternoon, but she wasn't confident she had rehearsed the proposal enough in her mind yet to convince her mother that she was serious about it.

"How did the tests go?" Einhart asked.

"The CT scan looked fine," Nanoha replied. "They are going to discharge her soon."

"Oh, so do you want me to get ahold of Fate and tell her not to come to visit then?" Einhart ventured. The room immediately filled with tension, and Vivio gaped at Einhart in disbelief. It took a few seconds for Einhart to register her error, and she glanced over at Vivio apologetically.

"She should still come," Nanoha piped up. "Maybe they could give you guys a ride home? I have some things to do at work, so the help would be appreciated."

Two dumbfounded expressions turned to face Nanoha in her chair next to the bed, and she just shrugged in response. Before Vivio could finally ask what this person had done with her real mother, the nurse came in to do a final exam before discharging Vivio.

"Why don't we give them some privacy, huh?" Nanoha suggested to Einhart and pointed to the hospital room door.

"R-Right," she replied and began walking towards the exit.

Nanoha kissed Vivio on the forehead. "Goodbye, Vivio. We'll talk later."

"Uh-huh. See ya," Vivio replied. She then raised the sleeve of her hospital gown so that the nurse could place the blood pressure cuff on her upper arm as they left the room together.

Einhart figured Nanoha would merely say goodbye in the hallway and then leave the hospital, but she was surprised to see the woman approach her directly instead.

"I have something I want to give you," Nanoha told her as she began digging through her purse. Einhart waited patiently as she watched Vivio's mother retrieve her wallet from inside. She became a little nervous when she saw Nanoha start to pull large bills out of it.

"Ms. Takamachi - ?" she began.

"You can call me Nanoha, Einhart," she replied. She then folded five one-hundred dollar bills in half and held them out to her. "I don't know how much Vivio makes in a week at her job, but this should help cover anything she is short on. Signum said she can't work for a week because of this."

"I really can't accept this," Einhart protested.

"I insist," Nanoha pressed, and Einhart knew there really was no way to graciously refuse the money. "You can use that for rent. There is no way I could give this to Vivio directly, without it causing a fight between us."

Einhart cautiously accepted the money and place it in her pocket. "It seems like you and Vivio were getting along when I came in, though?" she mentioned.

Nanoha shook her head. "What you saw was all very forced and unnatural between us, trust me. But the fact that she and I didn't fight today was progress in itself. All I can do is hope that someday, we can just talk like mother and daughter again at some point."

"May I ask what changed?"

"What changed?" Nanoha repeated, and she paused to think of the correct way to phrase what she had mulled over for so many hours the previous evening. "I think... sometimes the only you can do is acknowledge you were wrong yesterday, so that you can start over and try to do better today."

"Like forgiveness?" Einhart ventured.

"No..." Nanoha replied. "If you do anything just to be forgiven, then you aren't doing it for the right reason at all."

Einhart looked away to the ground as she reflected on Nanoha's words. "I think I understand," she eventually said.

"See you later, Einhart." Nanoha gave one last smile and turned down the hallway, and Einhart watched her walk away completely before retrieving the cellphone from her pocket. She dialed Fate's number, which Nove had text to her earlier that day when she had been sleeping.

"Hello, Fate...? Yes, this is Einhart... She's fine. Actually, can you come pick us up from the hospital? Vivio is being discharged, and we could use a ride home."

**oOOOo**

"Do you have everything, Vivio?" Fate asked as they finished gathering up her few things in the hospital room.

"I think so," she replied as she placed her book bag over her shoulder. It was in that moment she realized that she had forgotten to talk to her mother about withdrawing her from school. She knew she needed to resolve that situation with her as soon as possible, or else she would continue to waste time attending school, which was time she could be using to study for the test instead.

"I'm parked close to the front," Fate told them. "Do you need me to pull up to the curb?"

Vivio smiled a little at Fate's tendency to try to spoil her, which had been a contentious issue between her and her mother all throughout her childhood. "I'm fine, Fate. It will feel good to walk around actually, even just to the car."

"Thank you for taking us," Einhart added as they made their way to the elevator.

"No problem," Fate replied. "I'm glad you guys called."

The three walked in awkward silence from the elevator through the front lobby, and to Fate's car parked in the lot. Vivio hadn't seen it since her grandmother Lindy had come to retrieve it from her mother's house a year before. Memories began to flood over Vivio as she remembered being carted to school and MMA practice over the years in it. She allowed herself to revisit the memories for a moment, even thought it felt bittersweet to do so.

"Where's Ginga?" Vivio inquired after they had started driving away from the hospital.

"She's hanging out with her family tonight. They were really excited to see her. I've been spending time with my mother today myself."

"Is she your girlfriend?" Vivio asked next. Fate glanced nervously in the rear-view mirror at Einhart in the backseat, who appeared disinterested as she looked out the back window. She then looked over at Vivio, who was staring at her intently as she waited for the answer.

"No, she's not," Fate finally replied.

Vivio shook her head. "That's too bad."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you deserve to be happy."

Fate hummed. "You always were worried about that for me. Well, you deserve to be happy too. Are you dating anyone?" She glanced at Einhart again in the mirror, and she caught a reaction the second time. Einhart shifted her eyes to the back of Vivio's head for a second, before returning her vision to the window again.

"I was, kind of," Vivio replied. "She got drunk and cheated on me, though. It wasn't serious anyway, so it doesn't really matter."

"I'm sorry to hear that, though. That isn't right. But I'm sure someone will come along who will treat you the way you deserve to be treated."

Vivio turned her body in her seat fully to face the driver. "Are you still in love with my mother?" she asked bluntly.

Fate looked back at Vivio in astonishment. "What? Why would you ask me something like that?"

"Are you, or are you not?" Vivio watched Fate's hands grip around the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white, and she opted to avoid answering the question.

"Fuck..." Vivio muttered as she sat facing forward again.

"Vivio!" Fate scolded.

Vivio crossed her arms. "What was the point of you leaving like you did then, if you didn't even get over her? It was pointless."

"It wasn't pointless," Fate replied quietly.

"Well, if you're worried about what happened before between the two of us anymore, then don't. I'm not."

Fate sighed at the heated tone in which Vivio was speaking to her, and she instinctively knew it was payback for the way she had left a year ago. She considered whether she should mention that she _had_ left a way for Vivio to contact her after she left, but that her mother had blocked the possibility from the start. It was difficult to discuss her justification for leaving without that fact being spoken, since it gave off the impression the she had left Vivio behind without any regard for her feelings.

"Vivio...?" Fate began.

"What?"

"Um... Look, is there anything I can do to make this up to you?" she asked, opting not to divulge what Nanoha had done, at least for the time being.

"Yes, I want you to be my mother one last time," Vivio replied.

"What does that mean?"

"I need your help with something. You'll have to trust me that I'm serious about it, though."

Einhart leaned forward from the backseat. "Are you sure about this, Vivio? It could make Nanoha upset if you don't discuss it with her first."

"That's why I'm going to try to get it done before she finds out. So that I can prove this to her, without it causing a fight," Vivio replied.

"What are you two talking about?"

Vivio pulled out the GED preparation book from her bag, and Fate glanced away from the windshield to read the cover. "Why do you need that?"

"Because I'm failing school miserably. I'll have to repeat my senior year if I don't do this. But I can't be enrolled in a school to take the test."

Fate closed her eyes momentarily and exhaled. "You're failing school?"

"Yes. I'm also an alcoholic, by the way. And I do stupid shit like get kicked out of my mother's house and have concussions from unsanctioned fights," she seethed. "Did I leave anything out, Einhart?"

"Vivio, please. Just stop," Einhart responded.

"You're right. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said all that." Vivio paused as she looked down at the book in her lap. "Fate, I could use your help," she eventually admitted.

"Are you sure you don't just want to ask Nanoha, Vivio?" Fate asked.

"You have to trust me on this," Vivio replied. "Please? I want to do it this way."

Fate tapped her finger on the steering wheel as she debated the proposal. "What would I need to do?"

"Meet me at my school tomorrow at eight in the morning. There is a test coming up next Friday. I might be able to take it then if I sign up first thing tomorrow."

"Alright, Vivio. I'm trusting that you are serious about this, and that this won't backfire with your mother," Fate said, then laughed a little. "Well, not that it really matters for me anymore. But for you," she added.

"I am," she assured her as they pulled into the apartment complex, and Vivio and Einhart began to exit the vehicle. "Eight tomorrow," she reminded Fate as she stood outside the car and looked inside at her.

"Eight o' clock," Fate confirmed. Vivio shut the door and began to ascend the stairs to the apartment behind Einhart. She paused after a few steps, and then turned around and waved goodbye to Fate through the windshield. Fate gave smiled and returned the gesture, and then reversed the car and started driving away.

Vivio and Einhart entered into the apartment, and she placed her bag on the couch and immediately sat down on it. She didn't want to admit it, but she was feeling tired after the short trip in the car. She felt her headache beginning to come back with the constant exposure to the bright sunlight, and the light filtering in through the windows of the apartment was beginning to affect her as well.

"Vivio, you can go sleep in my bed," Einhart mentioned as she saw Vivio squeezing her eyes shut to block out the light.

"Huh? No way. The couch is fine," she replied.

"The nurse said I have to wake you up every two to three hours tonight to make sure you are okay. It would be easier on me if you were in the bedroom."

"Oh," Vivio replied, and then sunk her head. "I'm sorry, Einhart. I feel like I'm just causing you trouble all the time."

"I don't expect you to be perfect, Vivio. As long as you learn from your mistakes, that's good enough. Okay?"

Vivio nodded as stood up from the couch to comply with Einhart's request. She gathered a set of pajamas to change into, and she allowed Einhart to lead her into her bedroom. Einhart turned her back as Vivio changed, and she pulled back the covers on one side for her to lay down. Even though she had insisted and gave a justifiable reason for her to be occupying the bed, Vivio still felt a little awkward that she was intruding in her roommate's space.

"Do you need anything else for now?" she asked from the side of the bed.

"No, I'm good, thanks," Vivio replied.

"Okay, I'll be in to wake you up in a few hours."

"Einhart, wait," Vivio then said, and she grabbed her by the hand before she could walk away.

"Yes, Vivio?"

"Um..." Vivio began. Einhart sat down on the bed by her knees and gave her full attention. "I remember what you said last night." Einhart immediately looked away to the ground, and Vivio noticed a slight blush come to the reserved girl's cheeks.

"Which was?" Einhart asked.

"About what happened when we fought when we were younger. How it affected you."

"Was that weird?"

"Weird?" Vivio repeated. "No, of course it wasn't weird. I'm honored. I really had no idea."

Einhart nodded. "Well, it's true, Vivio. Did you remember what you said to me afterward, by chance?"

"No," Vivio lied, remembering perfectly well that she had said Einhart must have been in love with her.

"That's good. I know you weren't thinking clearly at the time. I'm surprised you even remember what I told you, honestly."

Vivio studied Einhart in profile in the darkened room as she debated what to say next to her, but she stood up from the bed before she could do anything else.

"Please sleep now," Einhart requested. Vivio complied and laid down on the pillow, and she closed her eyes and was asleep soon after Einhart had left the bedroom.

**oOOOo**

Einhart woke up to the sound of the alarm going off at midnight, and she immediately noticed the feeling of a warm body pressed up against her back. She glanced over her shoulder in the dark and then down at her stomach, which had Vivio's arm wrapped loosely around it. She sat up in the bed and looked down at Vivio beside her, who was now stirring in her sleep at the loss of her cuddling partner.

"Vivio?" Einhart called softly.

"Hmmm," was Vivio's sleepy reply.

"Wake up, Vivio," she continued. "I need to make sure you are okay."

Vivio placed her palm over one of her eyes and rubbed it clumsily. "Yeah, I'm okay," she replied after a moment.

Einhart reached over to reset the alarm on her phone for another three hours, and then laid back down in her previous position with her back to Vivio. She was almost asleep again when she felt Vivio's arm wrap around her stomach as it had before, and she pressed up against her back again. She knew she should have turned around and woken her up to inform her that she was cuddling with her again, but the feeling of having Vivio touching her was a sensation she was finding she enjoyed more than she ever thought she would.

It wasn't until she felt Vivio's hand start to move back and forth across her stomach that she realized she might actually still be awake. The feeling of it moving along her in that simple motion left a wake of goosebumps on Einhart's arms and legs. Vivio soon turned her attention elsewhere, and she began to run her hand along her side and down her leg.

"Vivio...?" Einhart whispered, and she was surprised by the unsteadiness of her own voice.

"Hmmm?" Vivio replied.

"What are you doing?" she asked as Vivio continued to touch her slowly.

Vivio hummed. "Do you want me to stop?"

Einhart didn't respond right away, and Vivio noticed that her breathing seemed to become increasingly unsteady the more she touched her. She moved her hand underneath Einhart's shirt next, and she traced her hand up her skin until she reached her breast. She cupped it and ran her thumb over her already erect nipple a few times.

"Oh god..." Einhart tensed as Vivio began to roll it between her fingertips. She listened to Einhart gasp beside her for a moment, but was surprised when Einhart suddenly sat up and pulled away. Vivio immediately removed her hand and placed it on the bed.

"What's wrong?" Vivio asked.

"Why were you doing that just now?"

"Because I wanted to make you feel good?" was Vivio's confused reply.

Einhart turned to face forward in the bed, and she looked over at Vivio, who was now leaning up on an elbow with a concerned expression. Vivio then fell back on the pillow and covered her eyes with her arm.

"God, I'm sorry, Einhart. I must have read into something that wasn't there. That was my fault," she commented.

"Are you attracted to me, Vivio?" she asked bluntly.

"Well, yeah. I wouldn't have done that just now if I wasn't."

"Why didn't you say something before?"

Vivio scratched her cheek. "I-I didn't know I had to, honestly."

"How else would I have known, then?" Einhart continued.

Vivio sat up in the bed. "Maybe I should just go sleep on the couch?" she said as she started to pull the covers off of her. "I didn't mean to mess anything up between us."

"Wait a minute, Vivio," Einhart countered, and she grabbed her hand before she could leave the bed.

"Yeah?"

"Look, I've never had something like that happen before. I, um... If something like that is going to happen, I want it to be because you like me for me."

Vivio smiled. "Well, are you attracted to me too, Einhart?" she asked.

The blush that reached Einhart's cheeks was visible to Vivio even in the darkened room, and she fidgeted slightly as she looked away. "Yes. I believe I am."

"Why didn't you say something before?" Vivio continued.

"I didn't know how to tell you, I guess," Einhart replied.

"How else would I have known, then?"

Einhart thought about the question momentary, and Vivio patiently awaited her response. In lieu of answering her verbally, Einhart instead raised a tentative hand to first brush away few stray strands of hair resting on Vivio's cheek up and over her ear, and her eyes soon exuded a sense of intrigue as she closely studied the girl next to her.

Einhart watched as Vivio's expression gradually shifted from one of confidence and assertiveness, to that of slight vulnerability in their silent exchange. She eventually felt Vivio pull away from her touch timidly, and a look of cautiousness was now present in her eyes.

"What is it?" Einhart asked softly.

Vivio's lips parted slightly as she steadied her gaze and attempted to find the correct words. "I... No one has ever looked at me like that before?"

Einhart brought her hand again to Vivio's head, and she allowed her fingertips to graze over the soft skin of her cheek before she entangled more of her locks in her fingers. "How did I look at you?"

Vivio paused again. "Like you weren't searching for something else in me," she replied after a moment. "That just seeing me for who I am was enough."

Einhart's shifted her gaze to Vivio's forehead, and she leaned forward to gently press her lips against it. Vivio closed her eyes as her focus became nothing but the tenderness and warmth that Einhart was conveying to her in her soft touches.

"You are enough, Vivio..." she whispered as she returned her attention to her features again. She guided Vivio down to the bed with a gentle but nervous hand on her shoulder, and then moved to hover over her. Red and green eyes opened to meet Einhart's again in tense anticipation.

Einhart bent down to meet Vivio's lips with her's cautiously, and she pulled away slowly to study Vivio once more. She watched Vivio's lips quiver slightly in response, and Einhart imprinted their first physical exchange they had just shared into her memory.

Vivio finally released a ragged breath, and she raised her hands to touch Einhart above her, hesitating once before grazing her fingertips against the flushed skin of her cheeks and neck. Einhart leaned forward, and their lips now met again in lingering and more needful exchanges. Vivio's head leaned back into the pillow as Einhart eventually began to glide her lips away from hers, and their bodies began to move in sync as the desire to know each other completely became more pressing between them.

Vivio relished in Einhart's attentive caresses that were eager to learn and understand every part of her body that night with Vivio's gentle instruction, and she relented to Einhart's will to continue exploring her, even after she had brought her to the edge and then pushed her to her peak. Vivio eventually moved her hand to rest gently against Einhart's chest when the two had finally paused to steady their breathing.

"Your heart is beating so fast," she whispered as Einhart's head came to rest against hers. A gentle nod was given in response, and Vivio studied Einhart's content expression just inches above her.

"I've never felt anything like that before," she replied breathlessly.

Vivio passed a gentle hand through Einhart's hair, and she guided her to rest her back against the bed in turn. A nervous expression immediately crossed Einhart's features, and Vivio captured her lips to reassure her. She then clung to Einhart beneath her, and she felt strong arms wrap around her in response.

"I want us to belong to each other, Einhart," she said softly by her ear.

"Me too, Vivio," she replied, and she buried her face in Vivio's neck as she pulled her closer into her.

Einhart's reluctance vanished after a few minutes of patient gestures, and Vivio's world soon focused solely on the woman now trembling below her. Uninhibited cries and whimpers escaped Einhart's lips throughout, and she clasped Vivio's hand in hers tightly as she experienced overwhelming ecstasy for the first time in her life.

"Vivio..." she cried afterward as she jerked, and she was brought back into Vivio's secure and comforting embrace until she was still again.

"You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, Einhart," Vivio mentioned as they laid next to each afterward.

Einhart glanced over quickly after the comment, and Vivio met her unsure eyes steadily after her confession. She eventually turned to lay on her side to face Vivio directly, and Einhart brought her lips to meet hers one last time that evening.

"You have been for me too, Vivio," she replied quietly.

The two fell asleep wrapped in each others arms, and Vivio never slept on the couch in the apartment again after that night.

* * *

**A/N:** It's hard to explain, but I somehow felt their first time wouldn't have been as special if Einhart hadn't taken the lead first so that Vivio could gain her trust, even though she probably would have been absolutely terrified in the beginning to do so. Well, see you soon! ~Nissanity~


	7. Chapter 7 - Knocked Down But Not Out

**A/N: **To** Aura**, there will definitely be updates coming on the other stories soon, as the last two chapters of this story should be out within the next day or two. The new method I'm using for writing and updating is working out well so far, and I'm excited to use it to update my older stories at a better pace than before.

This chapter is pretty much half-MMA and half NanoFate, lol

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******SURRENDER REFLEX **

**by : ~Nissanity~**

******Chapter 7 – ****__****Knocked Down but Not Out**

* * *

_~Three Weeks Later~_

Hayate clinked her fork against her water glass to steer everyone's attention to her at the head of the table, and she stood up from her seat and raised her wine glass in the air. "I'd like to propose a toast!" she announced.

All guests at the party table raised their respective drinks in return, and Vivio smiled and rolled her eyes at Hayate's silly gesture.

"To Vivio - - for being the worst student in her class, and still managing to finish high school half a year before everyone else!"

"Here, here!" the table responded and raised their glasses higher in salute before taking a drink. They returned to chatting amongst each other after as they waited for dinner to arrive, and Vivio turned to her mother with an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about dropping out of school until I found out I passed, Mama" she said.

Nanoha placed her wine glass back on the table. "You know, Vivio... I found out you did that about three days after, when they sent the confirmation letter of your withdrawal to the house."

"Well, that's anti-climatic," Vita mentioned from across the table.

"No kidding..." Vivio replied slowly as she stared at her mother. "I'm surprised you didn't get mad at me."

"Oh, no. I was _livid_ when I first found out," Nanoha assured her. "You're lucky I was on my way to work that morning, and that I ran into Hayate first and she calmed me down. She was the one who figured out why you would have done that."

"Thanks, Hayate. You saved my ass," Vivio said to the woman next to her mother at the table. "But really, though. Why didn't you say anything after you found out?"

"Well, even though you're only seventeen, you're an adult now, Vivio. I may not always agree with your decisions, but that doesn't mean I have a right to stop you from making them. Not anymore, at least."

Vivio felt a gentle hand come to rest on her thigh under the table after her mother's statement, and she turned to smile at Einhart in response to her encouraging gesture. She leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek in response, eliciting a whole chorus of 'oohs' and 'aahs' at the table.

Einhart blushed furiously as she stared down at the table, and Vivio felt a little guilty for causing her to be embarrassed. But, she was also glad she could let her family and friends know about the development between them, and she was more than proud to now call Einhart her girlfriend.

"What's this, now?!" Nove teased from across the table. "I am shocked and appalled that you did not inform your instructor of this development, Ms. Stratos."

"W-Why would I tell you something like that?" was Einhart's embarrassed reply.

"She's too good for you, Vivio. You know that, right?" Vita tried to joke. Shamal, Signum's wife, reached over and slapped her on the back of the head.

"Don't listen to her," Shamal said. "Congratulations, both of you."

"Thank you," Vivio replied. "So, Shamal, you're going to be at the tournament tomorrow, right?"

Shamal nodded. "Um-hmm. I volunteered to be the head physician of the medical team. I usually do it every year."

"Is your sister coming to watch, Nove?" Signum asked from the other end of the table. The chatter lessened significantly with the question, and Vivio sent a nervous glance at her mother. Nanoha had her elbow leaning on the table with her chin in her hand, and she was staring at the lit candle in the centerpiece. Vivio was unsure if she was paying attention to the conversation or not.

"Yes, she'll be there," Nove replied. "Her leave is up in a few days, though. They are headed back to Afghanistan on Tuesday."

The statement was met with a round of nods, and no one approached the subject of Fate out of respect for her ex-family members at the table. Vivio had not spoken to Fate since the day they had gone to the school together to sign the paperwork for her withdrawal. Their interactions that morning had been awkward as they danced around the subject of their past lives, and Vivio wasn't about to pester Fate anymore if she didn't want to be in her life.

The food arrived shortly after they had finished discussing Ginga, and Vivio was grateful to have something else to focus her attention on. She began to eat her meatless spaghetti, and Signum pointed down to it with her fork.

"Don't eat all of that," she told Vivio. "You don't want to screw up your weigh-in tomorrow."

"No problem," she replied. "I have to be in the same classification as Einhart, after all."

"Oh yeah, that's right!" Hayate mentioned. "There's the chance you guys could end up in the final round together. Wouldn't that be difficult for you two to fight each other?"

Vivio shook her head. "Nope! I still have to pay her back for the last time we fought. I have a scar on my left temple now because of her."

"Not for me, either," Einhart added. "I take a lot of joy in kicking Vivio's ass when possible."

The entire table burst into laughter at Einhart's uncharacteristic response to the question, and Nanoha grimaced as she picked up her fork from the table. "Damnit!" she cried. "My daughter has been a terrible influence on you, Einhart."

"Well, I had to have gotten it from somewhere, right?" Vivio teased back.

Nanoha nodded her head in confirmation. "Yep! Sorry, Einhart, it's all my fault actually."

Vivio set her fork down and turned to face her mother. "It's not your fault, Mama..." she said quietly to Nanoha, and the double meaning behind the statement was not missed by her mother. Nanoha set her fork down in return and met Vivio's now steady gaze beside her, and the two shared an unspoken conversation that had been long overdue. She then placed her hand on the back of her daughter's head and brought it towards her to kiss her on the forehead.

"Okay, Vivio..." Nanoha replied softly before she pulled away. She cleared her throat and picked up her fork again, and Vivio did the same as well and returned to eating her meal.

Hayate, who had seen and understood the interaction perfectly, quickly wiped a few tears away from her eyes and began to eat as well. The conversation from that point forward was light and cheerful, and the group all made preparations on where they would meet in the morning for the tournament.

**oOOOo**

"Okay, Vivio. You're registered and ready to go," Nanoha said to her in the lobby of the convention center the next morning. "Do you need anything else from me?"

Vivio shook her head. "I don't think so. Signum's already inside finding out who I'm up against first. I'll go find her in there."

"Sounds good. Well, I wish you luck. And Einhart?" she added to the girl next to her daughter. "If you do end up fighting Vivio at some point, just know that I won't hold it against you if you win."

"Hey! I could win too, you know?!" Vivio protested.

Nanoha grinned at her. "Sure thing, sweetie. Well, I'll see you both later! I'm going to go find Hayate in the stands," she said with a wave.

Vivio tried not to sulk at her mother's pretend lack of confidence in her as she watched her walk away. She knew it was her mother's way of getting under her skin in an attempt to push her to try even harder to prove her wrong. Vivio resolved that she would do just that as she and Einhart walked through the door that led to the main floor of the arena.

It only took a few moments for Vivio to locate her pink-haired instructor at one of the first stations in the arena. She also spotted Nove a few rings over setting up for Einhart's first match, which signified the two wouldn't be fighting each other in the first round.

"Well, I guess this is it," Vivio mentioned.

"Yes, it is. I wish you the best of luck, Vivio."

"You, too," she replied. Einhart began to walk away from her towards her station, but Vivio stopped her before she could get too far away.

"Hey, Einhart!" she called out.

Einhart stopped and turned around. "Yes?" she answered.

"I'm really glad I'm here today. Thank you."

Her girlfriend, and now potential adversary, allowed herself to smile a little at Vivio's comment, and she added a confirming nod before she turned away to focus on her first match again. Vivio crossed through the maze of people and equipment to meet with Signum as well.

"Okay, your first opponent looks to be pretty inexperienced," Signum informed her. "But don't let your guard down. You know the rookies can end up hurting you worse than the seasoned fighters."

Vivio glanced across the ring to the younger brown-haired girl now practicing jabs with her trainer across the way. She was able to sum up from her punches and movements that she was indeed an inexperienced fighter, and she was already contemplating which grappling move she would most likely be using to get the girl to submit.

The clock on the wall soon read 8:59am, and Vivio used the last minute to look to the stands to see where her mother and Hayate were sitting. She spotted Nanoha quickly in the lower stands of section L, and she saw her bright sapphire eyes watching her closely. Vivio gave a quick wave to her and Hayate before scanning the crowd further.

Fate's blond hair stood out from the middle seats of Section T, which was caddy-corner to where Nanoha was seated. Vivio had no doubt that Fate and her mother must have seen each other at some point in the stands, and she felt guilty that the both of them had to endure that level of awkwardness for her sake. She waved cautiously to her, and she watched Fate sit up a little straighter in her seat before she waved back as well.

"Fighters, near the center!" the referee soon announced, and Vivio and her opponent came to meet in the middle of the ring. "Ladies, I expect a clean fight. Anything less is unacceptable. Touch gloves, and then get set."

The two complied with the instructions and stepped away, and Vivio bounced and shook her hands and legs to loosen up one more time. She heard the referee a few rings over start the match between Einhart and her opponent, and her referee did the same thing a moment later.

"Fight!" he yelled and stepped back.

Vivio quickly approached the girl to being an assault, and the girl held up her arms defensively in front of her face. She slowed her attack a little bit when she noticed her opponent's reaction, and she decided not expel too much energy during this preliminary round. She allowed her opponent to throw a few punches, which Vivio expertly dodged and blocked.

She soon heard a sudden roar come from the stands behind her, and she realized that Einhart had probably just knocked her opponent out. She had her confirmation a second later, when her referee called the fight and declared Einhart the winner.

Not wanting to be outdone, Vivio wasted no time as she grabbed her opponent by the shoulders and swept her legs out from under her. She quickly got her into a side-mount, and it was mere seconds before the girl was tapping her hand on the mat quickly to stop the fight.

"Winner, Takamachi!" the referee announced. Vivio grinned as she got up from the ground and headed back towards Signum standing on the other side of the ropes. She caught Einhart's eye across the room and gave her a thumbs up as well.

"Alright, Vivio. That was good," Signum told her as she gave her some water. "I'm glad you conserved your energy. Your next match isn't for an hour, so try to rest up while you can."

**oOOOo**

"When is Vivio's next match?" Hayate asked Nanoha as she looked over her shoulder at the schedule.

"Looks like at ten o'clock," Nanoha replied, and she filled in Vivio's name on the next line in the bracket. "Are you sure you're okay with spending the day here, Hayate?"

Hayate scoffed. "Pssh, yeah! Watching people beat each other up is very entertaining."

"Nyahaha, okay," Nanoha smiled. "Hey, I'm going to use the restroom really quick. I'll be back in a few."

"No problem," Hayate responded as she took the paper out of Nanoha's hand. "I'll be here."

Nanoha stood up and began the short decent down the stairs, and she turned the corner to head toward the exit leading to the lobby. Unbeknownst to her, Fate had observed her leaving the stands, and she decided now may be the last time she would have a chance to speak to Nanoha before she returned to her tour overseas.

"Ginga, I'll be back okay?" Fate told her companion next to her.

"Okay, Fate. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" she playfully warned. Ginga had observed Nanoha leaving the stands as well, and she wasn't going to try to stop Fate from going to speak to her, even though she wasn't sure if she thought it was a good idea herself.

"It'll be okay," Fate assured her. She began her descent down the stairs herself, and made a path to exit through the same door that Nanoha had taken a few moments prior. Hayate had observed Fate following Nanoha from her seat in the stands, and she looked down to Vivio to see if she had seen it as well. She felt relief when she realized Vivio had not noticed, and she silently wished for her two friends to come to some sort of resolution in their feud.

Fate waited by the door they had both exited through, and she hoped that Nanoha wouldn't use another door to return to the stands. After about five minutes, Nanoha began to walk towards the doorway from one of the restrooms, and she didn't notice Fate by the wall in the crowded lobby.

"Nanoha?" Fate called out as she started to pass by.

Nanoha nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden calling of her name by the familiar husky voice, and she stopped directly in front of her and eyed the blond cautiously.

"Fate-chan...?" she replied in slight disbelief.

Fate pulled away from the wall and tried to approach Nanoha in the middle of lobby. She had to weave through quite a few people in the process, and she was concerned that she wouldn't be able to speak to her properly in all the commotion.

"Can we talk? Maybe outside?" Fate asked with her voice raised a little above the noise.

Nanoha glanced over at the door she had originally intended to return to the stands through, and then at the crowd of people around them. She eventually agreed to Fate's request, and she turned to walk towards the front of the building with Fate following a few steps behind. They didn't speak until they had made it outside and had stepped away from the front entrance doors.

"What would you like to discuss, Fate-chan?" Nanoha asked as she crossed her arms protectively.

"How are things between you and Vivio?" she began.

"Better," Nanoha replied. "She passed her GED test. I wasn't sure if you had heard or not."

"Yes, Nove told me. I'm glad to hear it. What is she going to do next, or does she know yet?"

"She is probably going to start community classes next semester, where Einhart is already going."

Fate smiled. "That's great. I think Einhart is a really good influence for her."

"I agree, considering that Vivio didn't have the best role models to look up to before, after all."

Fate's face fell at Nanoha's harsh words, although it hurt worse to know that they were painfully accurate. "I'm sorry, Nanoha," Fate said after a moment.

"I am too, Fate-chan. For a lot of things. Well, for everything really. I'm still coming to terms with the fact that I had been so selfish for so many years. And I'm trying to find ways to deal with my anger better."

"I don't blame you for what happened over the years, just so you know. Not between us, at least," Fate told her.

Nanoha looked at her skeptically. "What do you mean by that exactly?"

"I know Vivio holds a lot of anger about you dating other people while I was living there with you, but you had every right to do that. You told me from the beginning that you didn't want to be with me. I could have moved out at any point and spared myself from watching it, but I chose not to."

"But you were trying to be there to help raise our daughter?" Nanoha protested.

"I still didn't have to live there, though," Fate countered. "I was being selfish myself. I kept thinking that some day you would decide you wanted to be with me after all, if I just waited long enough. But I knew in the back of my mind that Vivio was the one suffering the most out of everyone, watching all of it happen. I was wrong to do that to her."

Nanoha looked away to the ground, and gathered her courage for her next statement. "I regret it now, Fate-chan. I regret everything. More than I could tell you. If I could go back and change what I did and just let us happen like it should have, I would."

Fate closed her eyes in response to Nanoha's confession, and she felt a little more at ease in the fact that Nanoha now felt that way regarding their past. "Okay, Nanoha. Thank you for telling me that," was Fate's only reply.

"How's Ginga, by the way?" Nanoha asked, steering the conversation to the present. "I saw you together at the hospital a few weeks ago. You looked really happy with her."

Fate racked her brain as she tried to figure out when Nanoha would have seen something like there, but came up with nothing. She wasn't about to mention that Ginga and her ex-girlfriend had made amends during their leave here, and that their short-lived physical involvement together had ended just as soon as it had started. She didn't feel any ill-will towards her friend over it though, as she felt Ginga had been there exactly in the way she had needed her to be when they first arrived on leave.

"Ginga's fine," Fate replied. "She doesn't want to go back so soon, of course."

"And what about you? Are you ready to go back?"

"Well..." Fate began. "I think I am. This trip has shown me I really don't have a place here anymore. My life is out there, for now at least. And when I finish the tour, I can figure out how to start over somewhere else."

Nanoha fought to control her emotions upon learning that Fate would never consider their city home again. That she would never allow _her_ to be her home again. She had to swallow repeatedly to dissipate the grief her declaration had caused in her.

Fate looked down at her watch. "I guess we should get back inside, huh?" she mentioned quietly.

"Yeah... Um, actually, I think I'm just going to enjoy the fresh air a little more first before I go back in. You go ahead," Nanoha replied.

"Okay. Well, I guess I'll see you inside then."

"Yeah. See you, Fate-chan." Nanoha managed to wait until Fate had returned inside before wiping away the tears that had escaped after she had left. She felt frustrated and helpless after the conversation, and she knew she wasn't ready to reenter the building just yet. An unknown amount of time passed as Nanoha stared blankly at the parking lot in front of her, and Hayate eventually came out to check on her.

"Hey, there you are," she said behind her. "Is everything okay?"

When Hayate came to stand in front of her friend, her expression told her that things were anything but fine. Nanoha's eyes were bloodshot from crying, and she looked ready to break down completely at any moment.

"She's never going to come back, Hayate," she said. "No matter what, there's nothing I can do now. I ruined everything between us, and now there is no way to take it back."

"Nanoha, maybe it's for the best if you start trying to move on, too?" she suggested. "It's been over a year now, and torturing yourself over this anymore isn't going to solve anything. You need to forgive yourself and let go."

"I love her though, Hayate," Nanoha replied as new tears fell. "I love her so much, I can't even stand it. Why was I so stupid?"

Hayate gave her a comforting hug, and she let Nanoha sob quietly into her shoulder. "Nanoha, it's okay. You know what they say about hindsight. But all you can do now is focus on today, okay? Vivio's next match is going to start soon, so we need to get back inside before it does."

Nanoha pulled away and took a deep breath. "Okay... Okay, I can do this," she said. "Well, at least I can thank Fate-chan for helping me with fix things with Vivio, even if she doesn't realize what she did for us."

"I'm sure she knows, Nanoha," Hayate replied as she put her arm around her shoulder to guide them back inside the building. "You have to trust in her that she does."

**oOOOo**

"Winner, Takamachi!" the referee announced at Vivio's third match of the day, which now placed her in the semi-finals. Vivio raised her hands in the air in triumph and smiled at her mother in the stands, and then looked up at the bracket board at her name being moved. Shortly afterward, the opponent's name she had been hoping to avoid was placed under hers.

"Had to be fucking Els..." Vivio muttered. She and Signum had kept their eye on the short-haired girl throughout the tournament, who was not above using dirty tactics like fish hooking and hair pulling when she started to get desperate. The outcome of her second match had been highly contested, when she had headbutted her opponent on the ground to knock her out. Els had claimed it was an accident, and the judges could not definitively rule that it had been intentional.

"Nothing we can do about it now," Signum said when she Vivio's frustration at the turn of events. "Just defend yourself as best as you can, and try to take her out right away."

Einhart's match was to be held at the conclusion of Vivio and Els round, and the noise in the crowd began to amplify the closer Vivio's match was to commencing. Her nerves were on edge as she rested on a bench and waited, and Einhart took the opportunity to speak to Vivio.

"Your opponent is unethical and breaks the rules," she mentioned as she sat next to her.

"Yeah, I know," Vivio replied. "I'm going to try to knock her out or get her to submit before she can cheat."

"She does the illegal things mostly on the ground, when she thinks she can hide it from the judges," Einhart advised. "I would try to stay on your feet and take her out that way."

"Thanks, I'll give it a shot. Besides, I have to make it to the finals so that you can kick my ass again, right?"

"It would be quite the honor to do so, this is true," Einhart joked, although her tone remained serious as always.

Vivio laughed at Einhart's deadpanned comment. "Ha! That's why I love you, Einhart," she mentioned casually as she starting readjusting her gloves. She froze a second later, and her eyes grew wide at the fact that she had just inadvertently dropped a bombshell confession. Einhart's expression mirrored Vivio's as the two met each others eyes.

"Einhart!" Nove beckoned to her fighter from across the arena.

Einhart looked back at Vivio nervously. "I'm sorry. I have got to go, Vivio," she said as she stood up. "We'll talk later, okay?"

"Um, y-yeah," Vivio stammered. "Good luck!"

Vivio waited until Einhart had turned to walk away before sinking her head into her hands. "So stupid!" she scolded herself.

"Probably," Signum confirmed from behind her. "But focus, Vivio. You're up again."

Vivio stood up to meet her controversial opponent in the center of the ring. She held her gloves out to her, but Els waved them off dismissively and backed away.

"Loser," Vivio muttered as she walked backwards as well and assumed her defensive stance.

"Fight!" the referee announced, and Vivio decided to unleash her assault right away, aiming straight for Els head. To Els credit, she was skillfully able to bob and weave out of Vivio's forcefully array of punches through most of the round, and Vivio assumed Els was trying to tire her out. She eventually backed away and began to come up with a different strategy.

Els suddenly ran full force at Vivio and tried to tackle her by the waist, but she kept her balance and began to unleash punches on her back and shoulder blades. Els took a fall and pretended to be in pain on the ground, leaving Vivio no choice but to try mount her and get to submit.

"Fucking cheater," Vivio spat quietly enough so the referee couldn't hear. Els responded by punching Vivio hard in one of her breasts, and then grabbed and twisted her nipple almost completely around.

Vivio stood up quickly and rubbed the sore area in anger. "What is wrong with you?!" she yelled at Els, who was now standing back up as well.

"Tasmin, that's a warning. Next infraction and you're disqualified," the referee announced.

"It's not my fault she can't fight," Els taunted back. Vivio tried her best to not let the comment get to her, but her frustration was starting to reach it's peak at the situation. Vivio rushed towards the girl and started attacking again, and she landed a few well-placed jabs, sending Els stumbling backwards. Els regained her composure before Vivio could try to finish her, and she was immediately running towards Vivio again with vengeance in her eyes.

The bell sounded signifying the end of the round, and Vivio dropped her defensive stance. What she didn't see coming was Els' uppercut that she threw after the round had already ended, and she landed her fist under Vivio's completely unprotected chin, knocking her old cold instantly.

The crowd was immediately on their feet and screaming as they watched Vivio crumble to the ground, and the referee called the match instantly.

"Tasmin, disqualification! Winner, Takamachi!" he announced as Shamal and the rest of the medical team began to rush into the ring, with Signum close behind them.

Nanoha was immediately on her feet and running down the stands with Hayate close behind in sheer panic. Fate and Ginga were also out of their seats and flying down the stairs as well, and both parties began to run through the lobby towards the arena entrance. Nove burst out of the door before they reached it.

"They want you guys to meet them in the back locker room once they get her on the stretcher," she informed them quickly. "Come on, I'll take you there now."

"You two go," Hayate said to Nanoha and Fate. "Just keep us updated."

Nanoha and Fate agreed and immediately followed behind Nove as she led them through the maze of hallways. They eventually made it to the currently unoccupied locker room in the back of the building, and they stood in the middle of the room as they waited for Vivio's arrival.

"I'll let them know you are back here," Nove informed them, and she ran out of the room and back towards the arena again.

Nanoha cupped her hand over her eyes in frustration and anguish. "God, she just got that concussion, Fate-chan!" she said. "I knew it was too soon for this."

"Nanoha, it was a cheap shot," Fate replied as she stepped closer to her, and she placed her hand on her arm to comfort her. "It didn't have anything to do with what happened before. It would have knocked her out either way."

Nanoha naturally turned towards Fate to rest her head against her chest, and the blond allowed her to do so in this critical moment. She wrapped her arms around Nanoha's shoulders to comfort her in response, which was an embrace that had been shared between the two of them countless times throughout the years.

"But it could affect her worse now because of it?" Nanoha continued to say into her shirt.

"It's going to be okay, Nanoha," Fate assured her. "I promise."

Nanoha nodded and quickly pulled away as she remembered her current place in Fate's life. The two then waited in silence for what felt like an eternity, and they eventually heard a loud commotion start to come down the hallway outside. Nanoha and Fate both made their way to the door, and Fate held it open to allow the stretcher to be wheeled inside, with Vivio laying on the top of it. Shamal was at the foot of the bed as she and Signum wheeled the bed into the locker room, and Einhart entered into the locker room shortly after them.

"She's conscious and alert," Shamal informed the two parents. Nanoha and Fate both let out huge sighs of relief collectively, and they came beside the stretcher to look down at their daughter. Vivio smiled up at the two of them, and Nanoha reached to grasp her hand.

"Sorry, guys. I made you have to worry about me again," she said.

"Don't be silly," Nanoha replied. "You didn't do anything wrong."

Shamal had Fate move aside temporarily so that she could perform a series of tests on Vivio. She first made her sit up, and then had her answer questions about where they were and what year it was. She eventually shined her penlight in her eyes, and she frowned at the conclusion of the exam.

"Well, I have no choice but to recommend that she doesn't fight in the tournament anymore," she announced. "I'm sorry, Vivio."

Vivio pounded her fist angrily on the bed, and then immediately placed her hands to her head in frustration. "God damnit!" she shouted. Einhart closed her eyes at the disheartening news.

"I'll go let the officials know," Signum said somberly and exited the locker room.

"So what happens now?" Nanoha asked. "Does that mean Vivio forfeits?"

"Yes, I'm afraid," Shamal replied. "They postponed Einhart's match until they had the results of the exam. She and her opponent will automatically be in the finals tomorrow."

Vivio wiped her eyes bitterly. "I was supposed to fight Einhart. This isn't fair!"

"I know, baby," Nanoha responded as pushed her bangs off her forehead. "It's not."

"So, does Vivio need to go to the hospital?" Fate asked next.

"No, I don't think so," Shamal replied. "If it is a concussion, it most likely is a mild one. It will be the same as before, with someone waking her up every few hours to check on her."

"I'll do it. It's not a problem," Einhart offered.

Nanoha shook her head. "No, you need to rest as much as you can for your fight tomorrow. If it's okay with Vivio, she can come back home with me tonight? I'll watch over her."

"Yeah, that fine," Vivio responded. "But... I want Fate to be there, too."

Nanoha glanced over nervously at Fate, who seemed conflicted about the request. "Vivio, I don't think Fate-chan can - " she began, trying to curb the pressure now placed on her.

"No, it's fine," Fate interrupted. "I don't mind. I want to be there for Vivio."

Vivio smiled a little, and Nanoha tried to hide her surprise at Fate's response. "Alright, just meet us over at the house after this."

"Okay, I'll be over there as soon as I can. Einhart, would you like a ride home?"

"Yes, please," she replied. "I'm not sure what else I need to do in the arena, though?"

"Let's go find out," Fate suggested as she started walking towards the locker room door.

Einhart stopped at Vivio's side to give her a hug and to kiss her on the cheek, and she leaned forward to bring her lips next to her ear.

"I wanted to tell you this earlier," Einhart whispered, "but... I love you too, Vivio."

Vivio's face immediately flushed red with the confession, and Nanoha and Fate shared a look of affectionate amusement at their daughter's response to the statement, which had been audible to both of them as well. Einhart quickly walked towards the exit of the dressing room in embarrassment with Fate following close behind.

"Okay, Vivio," Nanoha then said. "Let's get you home so you can rest."


	8. Chapter 8 - The Enemy of Resistance

**A/N: **To** SapphoSensei, **a special thank you for your constructive feedback! I went back and reedited this chapter using your pointers to construct my sentences better. I probably was falling into some bad habits there, lol. I think sometimes it's hard to recognize you're doing something repeatedly until someone points it out you. I'll definitely be focusing on that more in the future as I proofread :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******SURRENDER REFLEX**

**by : ~Nissanity~**

******Chapter 8 – ****__****Commitment is the Enemy of Resistance**

* * *

Fate knocked lightly on the front door of her former home with Vivio's spare gym bag hanging over her shoulder. She had just dropped Einhart off at her apartment after the tournament, who then sent her with some things that Vivio might need during her stay at her mother's house. Nanoha smiled and greeted her when she opened the door to let her inside.

"How did it go after we left?" she asked Fate in the front hallway.

Fate glanced around the house and noticed that nothing looked different from the last time she has been in the home. "It was good. Einhart even did an interview with one of the news stations about the fight tomorrow."

"How did it go? Was she nervous?"

"No, actually. She was really professional in it. It's going to air at ten o'clock tonight on channel four."

"We will definitely have to watch it," Nanoha replied as she led Fate into the darkened living room. Vivio was laying on the couch with a blanket covering her legs as she watched the television, which was the only source of illumination in the room.

"Hey Fate," she greeted, although her eyes did not leave the screen as she spoke. Fate placed the gym back next to the couch first. She then walked to the side where Vivio's legs were spread out on the couch and tapped her foot twice with her hand. Vivio retracted her legs so that Fate could sit down.

"What are you watching?" she asked as she settled into the cushions.

"Some cop movie," Vivio replied. She picked up the remote from the coffee table and tossed it to her. "You can find something else if you want."

Fate pulled up the satellite guide and immediately searched for the cartoon channels. She soon spotted a show she really liked and placed the guide's cursor over it.

"Is that okay?" she asked.

"Sure thing, kiddo," Vivio laughed. Soon the brightly colored cartoon with it's odd-shaped characters was playing on the screen.

"What is hell is that?" Nanoha asked as she entered into the living room. She leaned on the back of the couch with a paper take-out menu in her hand to watch the cartoon as well.

"_Adventure Time,_" Vivio responded for Fate. "Don't ask."

"I won't. Hey, are you guys good with take-out tonight? I don't feel like cooking."

"Where from?" Vivio asked as she looked up at her mother.

"The Thai place down the road. They deliver now."

"Sounds good to me," Fate replied.

"Yep," Vivio also confirmed.

Nanoha stood up and looked over the menu in her hand. "The usual for both of you?" Fate gave her a thumbs up before she allowed herself to become engrossed in the cartoon again.

"Pad thai with tofu for me this time," Vivio requested instead. Nanoha turned away from them to retrieve her phone from her purse in the kitchen. Vivio took the remote from Fate and turned down the volume on the cartoon a little.

"So Einhart is going to be on T.V. tonight?" she asked.

"Yeah, at ten o'clock."

"If I can't stay awake that late tonight, can you record it for me?"

"Of course," Fate replied. "So... Einhart is really someone special to you, huh?"

"She is," Vivio confirmed. "I can't believe someone that amazing would want to be with me, honestly."

"Well, if that is truly how you feel about her, then she is just as lucky to have you as you are to have her."

Vivio looked over at Fate after the comment and hummed a little. "It's funny," she mentioned. "I think you're the first person who has said Einhart was lucky to be with me. It's always the other way around."

"That doesn't make it any less true though."

"Dinner should be here in about thirty minutes," Nanoha informed them as she reentered the living room. She took a seat on the floor and leaned against the base of the couch between Fate and Vivio.

"That's good. I'm starving," Vivio replied.

Nanoha sat patiently through five minutes of the cartoon in perplexed wonder before throwing her hands up in the air. "Okay, I can't watch this if someone doesn't tell me what's going on," she announced.

Fate laughed as she began to explain who each of the characters were and what their relationships were to each other. Nanoha asked plenty of questions, to which Fate and Vivio patiently answered. The food arrived before they realized just how quickly the time had passed while they had been chatting together.

Vivio did the best she could to stay awake after they had finished eating, wanting to enjoy the surreal experience of her family being unexpectedly reunited. Unfortunately for her, the new head injury was causing her to become drowsy beyond her control. She started nodding off a little before nine that evening.

"Vivio, did you want to head to bed?" Nanoha asked her. Her daughter shook her head in response and subsequently nodded off again, to which Nanoha giggled a little at her stubbornness.

"Come on, Vivio. You need to get some sleep," Fate told her.

Vivio slowly slid her legs off the couch and she rubbed her eyes sleepily. "Don't forget to record Einhart's interview for me, okay?"

"No problem, sweetie. I'll be in to check in on you in a few hours," Nanoha replied.

"Goodnight, Vivio," Fate chimed in.

"Goodnight guys," she said with a wave as she headed towards the kitchen. Nanoha and Fate listened patiently for her to climb the stairs and for the bedroom door to shut behind her. Fate then set the timer to record the news broadcast that Einhart was supposed to appear on later.

"Thanks for coming over tonight, Fate-chan," Nanoha said to her after a moment. "I think it was good for Vivio to see us being a normal family one more time."

"Maybe so?" Fate replied. "It would be nice if this memory helped curb some of the pain of everything else that happened over the years."

Nanoha turned to face Fate on the couch and leaned her elbow on the back cushion. "You know, Fate-chan? This doesn't have to be the last time, if you don't want it to be. I know you're with Ginga now, but maybe if it didn't work out with her...?"

Fate stared at the couch in between them as she contemplated the offer. She eventually looked away from Nanoha completely towards the coffee table. "I'm not with Ginga like that, so it wouldn't be a factor in any of this," she told her.

"Oh..." Nanoha responded slowly as she considered Fate's statement. "So, you really don't have an interest in coming back here then?"

"Look Nanoha, this was incredible tonight. I'm truly glad it happened. But in the end, this was all just a fantasy. We are going to wake up tomorrow and be right back to dealing with the same issues as before. Nothing has changed."

"Everything has changed though," Nanoha countered.

"No, it hasn't. In three days I leave again for who knows how long. That was always the biggest issue keeping us from being together. So again, nothing has changed."

"I guess I can't convince you that I've changed then? That I could handle it now?" she pressed.

Fate shook her head. "There is no way I could put trust in that after everything that has happened. I think you feel that way _now_, but what happens if you decide you really can't handle it after all when I'm gone? Where would that leave me?"

"I wouldn't do that to you, Fate-chan."

"I'm sorry Nanoha. I can't risk it. The only that would be worse than not having you like it was before - - would be to have you for a little while and then lose you completely."

Nanoha sighed and relented in any further attempts to convince her. "Okay, I get it. I won't ask you to come back here anymore."

"Let's just enjoy tonight for what it is and not worry about tomorrow, okay?"

"Can we stay in contact after this, at least?" Nanoha then asked. She used her thumbs to brush a few tears away as she waited for the inevitable response.

Fate debated whether it would be possible for her to stay in contact with Nanoha after this. After a moment, she decided it would only hinder her in moving past the two of them. "I don't think so," Fate responded quietly.

Nanoha tried to appear strong at hearing the decisive answer, although her grief soon started to overwhelm her. She stood up from the couch to try to leave the room, but the few tears quickly escalated into borderline sobbing and stopped her in her tracks. Fate could only watch Nanoha's body shake with her hands buried in her hands for so long before she found herself standing up from the couch as well.

"Nanoha?" she tried to call out. She attempted to place her hand above her elbow to comfort her, but Nanoha pulled away and turned her back to her in response.

"Nanoha!" Fate then said louder. She gently grasped her by the shoulder to turn her around and pull her towards her. Nanoha remained tense for a moment before she crumbled against Fate.

"Fate-chan..." she cried out her name a few times into her shoulder. She then wrapped her arms around her as tight as she could without hurting her.

Fate placed her cheek on the top of Nanoha's head as they held each other silently. She soon found herself falling into her old habits of trying to soothe and comfort Nanoha, when was so upset that she was almost inconsolable.

"Nanoha?" Fate said again after she had calmed down considerably. "What can I do to help you through this?"

Nanoha pulled her head away from Fate's shoulder to look directly at her. "I-I want to know," she replied.

"What do you want to know?" Fate asked.

"I want to know what I've missed out on all these years. I can't move on if I am always wondering what it would have been like between us."

"How would we do that, though?"

Nanoha looked up at Fate earnestly. "Just give us tonight, please? Can we share what we should have been together for just this one night?"

"Nanoha..." Fate began to protest, but as she continued to hold her, she soon realized that she really didn't have the resolve to fight the inevitable anymore either. At least not for that one night.

Fate leaned forward to kiss her, but paused a few inches away as she second-guessed the action. Nanoha gasped slightly in surprise at Fate's unexpected approach. She first glanced down to Fate's lips before shifting her vision up to her burgundy eyes.

"Are you sure about this, Nanoha?" Fate asked softly one last time.

"More than anything," she breathed as she closed the distance between the two. Time, which had been their enemy for so long, yielded to them in that moment as they moved together as one. A sense of gentle urgency was shared between them as they sought to hold on to this precious memory they were now creating together.

Nanoha met Fate's smile with hers as they pulled away, both breathing a bit heavier. They both paused in reflection of the intensity of their first exchange that had been so captivating, and so long overdue. Fate rested her head against Nanoha's as they allowed themselves to experience each others' uninhibited warmth, while the reservations and boundaries that had kept them apart for so long soon became non-existent.

Fate was next to meet Nanoha's lips with hers again in an embrace that became more intimate and lingering than the first. Fate pulled Nanoha closer into her, as Nanoha's gentle hands slowly slid up to Fate's now flushed cheeks in return.

"I want know everything, Fate-chan," Nanoha mentioned during one of their reluctant breaks from each others lips. Fate closed her eyes and indicated she desired the same with a few gentle nods. Their hands were gently clasped together as Fate was guided through the familiar rooms of the house and up the stairs, eventually being led into Nanoha's bedroom at the end of the hallway.

The click of the doorknob behind them created a whole new world together just for them, completely void of all the insecurities and mistrust that had plagued them for years. It was their own time now as Fate laid Nanoha on the bed gently beneath her. There was a sense of connection and completeness that had eluded them both for so long, finally being found in each others' embrace.

"It has always been you..." Nanoha said softly as her fingertips grazed Fate's lips above her. She moved her fingers to gently entangle them in the dog tags that were loosely hanging from the soldier's neck. Nanoha then used them as leverage to bring Fate's lips back down to hers once again.

Each touch shared between the two was deliberate and purposeful that night, with every moment passing as a chance to imprint in their memories the emotions and sensations they were sharing. As their bodies moved in sync together, the intensity of their feelings began to overwhelm them. Nanoha wept as she slid her fingers through Fate's hair, trying desperately to hold on to the edge as long as she could before falling over.

"I love you, Nanoha," Fate whispered as she studied Nanoha's tensed features, who had reached her peak and was now experiencing complete fulfillment and ecstasy beneath her. "I love you so much..."

Nanoha allowed herself to surrender once more to Fate's touch before she was pulled to rest on top of her. In the aftermath they both clung to each other desperately, knowing the delicate world they had created would completely fall apart if they ever let each other go.

"Please don't let this end," Nanoha said as she gently held Fate's head against her chest, begging to keep the flame now burning between them from being extinguished forever. "Please don't give up on this. I love you too much to lose you again, Fate-chan."

Fate pressed her lips against the soft skin in front of her and allowed herself to pretend for a little longer that this could be their future. The temporary sanctuary they had created was shattered instantly as their cellphones both went off simultaneously. The true reality of their lives came sharply and painfully back into focus as they realized the implications of what the messages could mean for their futures.

A mass text message alert was often sent out to active personnel when there was some sort of international crisis, with everyone on the base usually put on alert to await further instructions. When Fate's cell phone rang a few moments later, Nanoha's memories of the anguish she had experienced during these times came crashing back to her.

"Hello...? Yes, sir..." Fate's voice said into the receiver as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Nanoha reached over to her cellphone on the nightstand and opened it to retrieve the message that had been sent.

"_U.S. Embassy attack in Syria. All active personnel now ordered on standby,_" it read. Nanoha gritted her teeth at the sight of the word 'Syria', knowing how hostile and dangerous the country currently was. All she could do now was wait for Fate to finish her conversation to find out what the future had in store for her.

"Thank you, sir... I'll be there soon..." Fate concluded her conversation after a few moments. She tapped her cellphone against her lips a few times and stared at the wall in front of her.

"Fate-chan?" Nanoha ventured.

Fate silently looked back over her shoulder at Nanoha for a moment. She then stood up and began to retrieve her clothing from the edge of the bed. "I've got to go," Fate said solemnly.

Nanoha closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "They are sending you there, I take it?"

"It's possible. Everyone who is on leave now is going to be reassigned to the area. Well, if they decide to send us, that is."

"How possible is it that you'll have to go?"

Fate paused. "Very," she eventually replied.

Nanoha crossed her arms and looked away bitterly. "This is awful," she whispered.

"I know, and I regret putting you through this again. I really didn't want you to have to deal with this anymore. I'm sorry, Nanoha."

"Well, I'm not sorry!" Nanoha said as she sat up in the bed. "I don't care how much it hurts to go through this with you. It hurts so much more to not know where you are out there. To not know... to know know whether or not you're alive," she added with her voice trailing off at the end of the sentence.

"Nanoha...?"

"I don't care how long it takes or where you get shipped off to, Fate-chan. I'll be waiting here for you until you get back. Until you come h-home..." Nanoha's voice cracked with the word 'home'. She got up from the bed and quickly retrieved her robe before coming to stand directly in front of Fate.

"I meant it," Nanoha continued. "I meant every word I said tonight. I want to be here for you no matter what. And I will do whatever it takes to prove that to you."

"Why are you doing all of this, Nanoha? I already told you - "

"I don't care what you told me," she interrupted. "Nothing is going to change the way I feel about you, or my commitment to you. All I can do is wait until you understand that."

Fate glanced down at the clock on her phone. "Look, I really do have to go," she said as she began to make her way the the door. Nanoha stepped in front of her again.

"Can we stay in contact at least?" she asked. Fate looked reluctant to answer the question and Nanoha started to panic at her lack of response. "Please don't say that we can't!" she cried.

"Nanoha, I don't think I can keep in contact with you if we aren't going to be together," Fate replied.

"Then can you consider giving us a chance? Please don't let what we shared tonight be for nothing, Fate-chan. Please?"

"Okay, Nanoha. I promise I'll consider it. I'm going to go talk to Vivio, and then I really have to go."

"Okay, I understand," she replied. Fate was almost out the door when Nanoha spoke up again. "Fate-chan, just remember - - You will always have a home here with me, okay?"

Fate paused in the doorway and looked over her shoulder one last time at. "Goodbye, Nanoha," was her only response as she walked out of the bedroom that evening.

**oOOOo**

"Is she gone yet?" Nanoha asked Hayate the next day. The two were sitting in the stands of the arena, while Vivio had gone to wish Einhart luck before her final match. Nanoha wanted to use the opportunity to discuss Fate's sudden deployment without her daughter around to potentially get upset.

"Do I really need to answer that question?" Hayate replied.

"Yes, you do."

"They left a few hours ago," she sighed. "They are sending them to Jordan, just in case they are needed for security there. But for now, they aren't allowed to send combat troops into Syria, thankfully."

"That's such bullshit, though. All they would have to say is that it's a 'non-combat type mission' and they would send them in anyway."

"I don't know what to else to say, Nanoha. That's all I know." The two woman paused as they watched Vivio leave Einhart's side by the ring and begin the long trek back to the stands.

"Would you like to talk about what happened last night instead?" Hayate then asked.

"It was something that should have happened years ago..." Nanoha vaguely replied.

"Well, it's about time!"

"I don't think she wants to come back though, Hayate. I tried to tell her that I wanted to be with her and would wait for her, but she only said she would consider it. And she was very reluctant to even say that."

"Nanoha, just give it time," Hayate said as she put her hand on her friend's shoulder to comfort her. "There's still a lot of years to overcome between you two. Maybe knowing that you are waiting here for her will eventually change her mind."

"Hey Hayate, did you get a chance to see Einhart on the news last night?" Vivio asked as she approached her and her mother in the stands again.

"Your mother just showed it to me on her phone. She did an incredible job. She sounded like a professional athlete."

"She was cute too, right?"

"Yes, Vivio. She was very cute too," Hayate confirmed with a laugh. "How is she feeling about the match today?"

"Pretty good, I think. She is really focused."

"I can't believe they put that cage thing up around the ring for it," Nanoha mentioned. "And all those ads on the mat, too. They really went all out."

"They are filming the fight today, actually," Vivio replied. "There's a chance it could be broadcast on one of the cable channels."

"Are you still upset about yesterday? That you're not the one fighting her?" Hayate asked.

Vivio shook her head. "No, not really. Well, I'm still upset that Els had to take the cheap shot like she did. But I don't mind being here to support Einhart instead. She deserves it, since she's always been there for me."

Hayate first grinned at Vivio next to her and then at Nanoha on her other side. "I have no idea what happened to you Takamachi women. But whatever it was, I'm glad it did."

The lights in the building eventually dimmed above the crowd to highlight the ring in the center of the arena. The announcer began reciting his opening statements regarding which division weight-class this match was, as well as reminding the crowd there would three rounds total with five minutes each. His voice became louder and more exaggerated as he introduced the two fighters.

"Now, first fighting in the blue corner. Competing in her first appearance in this weight class - - sitting at 5 feet 8 inches tall, and weighing in officially at 115 ½ pounds, Einhart Stratos!"

"Go, Einhart!" Vivio and Nanoha shouted as the rest of the crowd cheered.

"Murder the shit out of her, Einhart!" Hayate screamed between them. Vivio and Nanoha both turned their heads to stare at her in disbelief.

"What?" Hayate replied. "Was that not good?"

"And next, fighting in the red corner. Also sitting at 5 feet 8 inches tall, and weighing in officially at 118 ½ points - - 3-time returning champion, Micaiah Chevelle!"

The roar of the crowd was considerably louder with the introduction of the returning champion, who had become somewhat of a celebrity in the local MMA circuit.

"She really has a following, it seems?" Nanoha mentioned.

Vivio nodded. "She's earned it, too. Everyone really respects her as a fighter. I know Einhart can take her though, but it probably won't be easy."

The referee moved to the center of the ring. "Are you ready?" he yelled. He first pointed at Einhart and received a nod in response. "Are you ready?" he asked next to Micaiah, who gave a little wave in return.

"Fight!" he shouted and then backed away. The two girls approached in the middle to touch gloves before stepping back to plan their attacks. Within two seconds, Micaiah threw a high kick that landed dead on Einhart's chest, but she remained steady in her place.

A second kick was attempted and Einhart was able to deflect it away. Micaiah then landed a right and left hook a few moments later. Einhart responded with a side kick that Micaiah caught under her arm. They both tried to attack each other, but Einhart eventually toppled over with Micaiah on top of her.

"Come on baby! You can do this!" Vivio willed as Einhart struggled to keep her opponent from getting too much of an advantage on her. Einhart had her legs wrapped around Micaiah's waist, as well as her hands around the back of her neck to keep her movements checked. It took almost a full minute for Micaiah to break the hold, which she did by physically lifting Einhart back up into a standing position and then pushing her away.

"Did she really just pick her up like she weighed nothing at all?" Nanoha asked in shock.

Both fighters looked winded after their session on the ground as they planned their next moves. They both remained standing for the rest of the first round, with neither being able to take the other to the ground. Their kicks were still forceful and they both landed quite a few well-placed punches before the bell rang to signal the end of round one. Micaiah was most likely ahead after the first round, since she had been more successful with her attacks and was constantly putting Einhart on the defensive.

"This is nerve-wracking!" Hayate commented as the two fighters rested in their respective corners.

"Einhart has a lot of ground to make up for in round two," Vivio admitted. "She's going to have to take a few risks, I think."

Round two started similar to the end of round one, with the fighters trading limited but effect jabs and kicks. It wasn't until two minutes had passed when Einhart finally found an opportunity to attack. Micaiah had landed a high kick to Einhart's ribs, which she caught and used a leverage to sink her knee into her opponent's abdomen. She still held onto her leg as Micaiah started bouncing backwards unsteadily. Einhart pushed her hard into the side of the cage and brought her knee into her stomach again. The crowd was one their feet when Einhart landed a forceful right hook to her nose, causing her opponent to blink back tears from the impact.

Micaiah maneuvered off of the fence and back into the center of the ring, but her vision continued to be blurred with tears. She also looked slightly disoriented as she tried to hold her defensive stance. Einhart was relentless as she unleashed a series of jabs aiming straight at her injured nose again, eventually making contact below her right eye. Micaiah's face started to swell up where she had been struck in an instant. She stumbled around even more but still attempted a few more punches to keep her opponent at bay.

"Finish her!" Vivio screamed as Hayate jumped around excitedly next to her.

Einhart landed a solid right jab and then a left before Micaiah threw one last punch, which Einhart expertly dodged. She then brought her leg up to land a roundkick on the side of her opponent's face, knocking her out instantly. The referee had to hold Einhart back before she could reach Miciaiah on the ground to finish her off, had it been necessary.

The crowd in the arena roared as the referee called the match for Einhart, who surprisingly gave just a simple wave to the audience in response to their cheers. She came to stand beside her still unconscious opponent on the ground while the referee and medical staff attended to her. When Micaiah didn't wake up right away, Einhart knelt to one knee and waited with a concerned look on her face.

Finally, a hand reached up from the ground and was held out towards Einhart, who bent forward to thank her for the fight as she shook it. She didn't stand up again until Micaiah had risen into a sitting position with Shamal's assistance. She eventually returned to her corner to discuss the outcome of the match with Nove.

"Einhart is aware that she just won the tournament and that hundreds of people are cheering for her right now, right?" Hayate joked.

Einhart eventually looked up to search for Vivio in the stands. When she spotted her, she kissed her index and middle fingers and held them out before mouthing the words '_I love you_' to her. Vivio immediately returned the gesture with a huge smile on her face.

"Aw, all these people in the crowd and Einhart only sees one person in it," Hayate commented. "We should all be so lucky, right?"

Nanoha smiled as she thought of Fate. "Yep. And maybe some day... we will be."

* * *

**A/N:** One more chapter! It should be out tomorrow :D ~Nissanity~


	9. Chapter 9 - Waiting at the Crossroads

**A/N: **This story ending up not being complete with this update. I feel I should apologize now (maybe?) for not finishing this on the chapter I said I would. I can promise you though, if you had seen the horrible chapter I had tried to end this story with, you would have been really disappointed in it. I haven't developed these characters nearly enough yet, and there are just too many aspects to try to tie up the loose ends in one update. So I did the only thing I could, and just started writing more chapters and expanding on some things. It's not me trying to drag the story out, but to make sure it isn't rushed or forced with an unsatisfying conclusion.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******SURRENDER REFLEX**

**by : ~Nissanity~**

******Chapter 9 – ****__****Waiting at the Crossroads**

* * *

"So, now that you've won your weight class here, are you looking to compete in the state tournament in a few months?"

"Yes, that's the plan for now," Einhart expertly replied to the sports news journalist interviewing her after her victory. "Tonight I'm focused on enjoying the win, but I think this will open a lot of doors for me. I'll be looking to the future from here on out."

"This fight between you and the three-time tournament champion was very evenly-matched..." he continued, while Vivio and Nanoha looked on affectionately several feet away.

"Wow!" Nanoha commented. "She is even more incredible in this interview than the last one."

"Um-hmm," Vivio replied. "Hey Mama, let's go get her stuff from the locker room while she finishes up?"

"That sounds like a good idea. Hayate said goodbye, by the way," she told Vivio as they began to walk towards the back of the arena. "She had to get back to work tonight."

Vivio nodded. "It has to do with them sending all those troops to Jordan, right?" she asked.

"Yes, it does," was Nanoha's only reply. The two walked in silence as they made their way through the hallways and into the locker room, both trying to avoid thinking the worse about Fate and the hostile region she had just been sent to. When they entered the locker room, Nanoha immediately remembered her interaction with Fate in there the previous day.

"Did you two figure anything out last night?" Vivio asked her mother.

"Not really," Nanoha lied. She wasn't prepared to discuss what had happened between her and Fate with Vivio just yet, mostly because Nanoha wasn't completely sure how she felt about it herself.

"Does she want to be with you anymore, or no?" she then asked as she picked up Einhart's gym bag, and the two began to walk towards the locker room exit again.

Nanoha lowered her eyes to the ground "Why would you ask me something like that, Vivio?" she replied quietly.

"I'm sorry, Mama. I shouldn't have said that."

"Let's just talk about something else? What do you think are you going to do now? College won't start for a few months, and you won't have the tournament to focus on anymore."

"I'm going to talk to Signum tomorrow, actually. I want to keep doing MMA, and maybe see about getting a sponsor someday. Maybe go pro."

Nanoha contemplated her response. "Is that what Einhart wants to do, too?" she asked.

"I think so," Vivio shrugged. "She has been focused on fighting for so long now."

"As long as you are doing it for yourself and not because someone else is, I will support you fully," Nanoha told her. Vivio thanked her, and the two entered into the arena again to join Einhart across the room.

As Vivio and Nanoha walked around the ring, Einhart came into their line of vision. A man and woman in military uniforms were in front of her and discussing something earnestly, while she nodded seriously in return. As Vivio approached the three, the woman handed Einhart her business card. They then smiled at her before turning to walk away.

"What was that all about?" Vivio asked Einhart as she eyed the military recruiters suspiciously. Nanoha sensed a bit of tension forming between her daughter and Einhart. She opted to keep her distance to let them have their privacy.

"They were recruiters," Einhart replied. "They were interested in talking to me after seeing my fight tonight."

Vivio laughed nervously as they began walking, still carrying Einhart's bag for her. "Talk about what? How you managed to plant that roundkick to Micaiah's face? That was really awesome, by the way."

"No, they wanted to talk to me about enlisting in the military."

Vivio stopped walking immediately. "What? Well, you told them no, of course? Right?"

Einhart turned around to look at her, and Vivio's horrified look was met silently.

"Seriously, that's not funny, Einhart," Vivio said as she dropped her gym bag to the floor in disbelief.

"I have an appointment to talk with them tomorrow morning in their office," Einhart informed her. "I'm not going to discount the option until I speak with them and learn the details."

"What is there to learn?!" Vivio suddenly shouted at her. "All you need to know is that it ruins people's lives!"

"What are you shouting about, Vivio?" Nanoha asked as she approached her upset daughter.

"Mama, tell her! Tell her what being in the military does to you!" she yelled.

"Vivio, calm down," Nanoha scolded gently.

"I thought you wanted to do MMA and go to college?" Vivio then said through gritted teeth. Nanoha noticed her daughter balling her fists up in frustration.

"I do," Einhart replied. "They have developing MMA programs, and there is a good chance the military will pay for my college."

"What a crock of shit..." Vivio muttered as she closed her eyes and looked up to the ceiling.

"We are not having this discussion here anymore," Einhart concluded as she went to pick up her bag from the ground in front of Vivio.

"Do you really have nothing to add to this, Mama? After everything our family went through?" Vivio was now looking at her mother with pleading eyes. Nanoha noted there were a hint of desperation in them.

"It's not my place to say anything, Vivio," Nanoha reluctantly replied. She knew she spoke the truth, but she also knew her answer was probably going to cause an escalation in the fight.

Vivio shook her head and began to walk away from the two women. "Do whatever the fuck you want!" she said bitterly with her hands up in the air. "I don't give a shit."

"Vivio, that's enough!" Nanoha finally stepped in and began to approach her daughter to stop her from running away. Vivio began to jog over to one of the side exits of the arena and eventually pushed open the door in anger. Nanoha and Einhart made no further attempts to stop her.

"She just needs a few minutes," Nanoha told Einhart, who now looked visibly upset with Vivio's angry departure.

Vivio walked away from the arena and jogged through the parking lot with a sense of betrayal beginning to overwhelm her. She crossed the four-lane street across from the arena and headed down a steep bank of grass. It led to a large drainage ditch that did not have water in it during that time of year. She scaled the chain-link fence that ran around it, and she soon was walking down the middle of the large concrete alley. She attempted to put as much distance between herself and the arena as she could.

"We should probably go look for her," Nanoha mentioned when Vivio had not returned after ten minutes. They had tried to call her cellphone a few times but it instantly went to voicemail after the first ring.

Einhart picked up her gym bag, and the two women began to walk to the exit that led to the lobby. Nanoha eventually put her arm through Einhart's to try to comfort her.

"I'm sure you can understand why she might be upset?" Nanoha gently asked.

"Yes, of course," Einhart replied. "But I don't think it is fair that I should not consider an option for my future, just because of what happened in her life."

"You're right. That's why I decided not to give my input on the matter myself," Nanoha informed her. "There is no way I would be able to give you unbiased advice after what our family went through."

"Do you think I should just forget about it all together?"

Nanoha shook her head. "Absolutely not. I think it's important that you do what you feel is best for you, no matter what anyone else says."

"I don't want to lose her over this, though," Einhart mentioned.

"If Vivio doesn't respect the decisions you make, then she doesn't have a right to be with you," Nanoha advised. "Although being in a relationship also means considering your partner's feelings, and taking their opinion into account before deciding anything."

The two arrived at the car in the parking lot, and Nanoha soon had it in gear and was driving around in search of her daughter. She scanned the area through her windshield, but Einhart only looked out the side window.

"We shouldn't be looking for Vivio right now," she finally said.

Nanoha glanced over at Einhart in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"She needs to figure how she feels about this on her own. There is nothing either of us can say right now that is going to help. It would probably only make things worse, actually."

"Hmmm..." Nanoha replied. "You're probably right."

"I should probably just wait at the apartment until she comes back," she added.

"Are you really considering this as an option, Einhart? A military career?" Nanoha then asked as she turned down a different street and headed for the freeway.

"Yes. Recruiters have tried to talk to me before, but I've always turned them away. But I actually approached the two of them today when I saw them after my interview."

"What changed your mind?"

"I watched the news this morning about the embassy bombing yesterday," she replied. "I saw some footage of the troops being deployed, and somehow I saw myself there with them. And I have a lot of respect for Fate and what she does after meeting her, too."

The mention of Fate and her status as a soldier felt like a cold dagger in the pit of Nanoha's stomach. She felt her voice catch in her throat at the thought of Vivio potentially being in her shoes in the future. The feeling of deja vu crashed into her like a ton of bricks.

"Thank you for the ride," Einhart said as she exited the vehicle in front of her apartment. "I will text you when Vivio comes back to let you know that she is safe."

"Thank you, Einhart," Nanoha replied. "And I'll do the same if she gets ahold of me for a ride home."

"Okay. Talk to you soon," she added said as she shut the car door.

Nanoha gave her one last wave before putting the car in reverse and driving away. Soon, the memories of a decade ago came flooding over her as she drove back home herself.

**oOOOo**

_~Flashback, 11 years ago~_

"Ah, there's my little girl!" Fate cried as she entered into the apartment that she shared with her roommate and her newly adopted daughter. She threw Vivio into the air above her head before bringing her back down into a hug. "How was your day, sweetie?"

"Good, Fate-mama!" the six-year-old replied. "Mama took me to see grandma today!"

"Oh yeah?" Fate replied as she looked over at Nanoha, who was currently in the kitchen cooking dinner for everyone.

"Yep, we did," Nanoha confirmed. "She and my father ended up giving her so much caramel milk, she threw up."

"That's my girl!" Fate said as she put her back down and ruffled her hair affectionately.

Vivio motioned for Fate to bend down so that she could whisper something in her ear. Fate glanced up to Nanoha after Vivio told her the secret, and Nanoha put a hand on her hip in response.

"What was she was just telling you?" Nanoha demanded.

Fate stood back up slowly and looked away as her skin flushed in embarrassment. "It was nothing," she replied quietly.

"I don't believe you," Nanoha countered. "I'll get it out of you eventually. You know that."

"Really, it's nothing," Fate replied. "Hey Nanoha, I do have something to show you though."

Nanoha dipped her finger in her homemade spaghetti sauce and tasted it. "What's that?" she asked.

Fate pulled out some paperwork she had folded up in her back pocket. "I went ahead and enlisted today," she announced. She placed the enrollment paperwork on the kitchen counter.

Nanoha felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her as she stared at the paperwork sitting half open in front of her. "I thought... I thought you were only considering doing that?!" she replied angrily. She felt tears forming in her eyes soon afterward.

"I know," Fate admitted. "But I thought about it a lot more last night. I think that this makes more sense than me going to college first."

"That means you're enlisted and could be deployed! You might be sent into combat! If you had just waited and gone through college like I am, you could have come out as an officer and done something different."

"But I'm not like you, Nanoha," she countered.

"You didn't even talk to me about it before you did this, though? You agreed to be here for Vivio with me, and now you go and do something that could get yourself killed!"

"Fate-mama? Are you going to die?" Vivio asked in a panic. She soon began crying and Fate bent down to face her directly.

"No, no! Vivio, listen to me! That would never happen, okay? I'm always going to be here for you, and I'll always be safe."

"But Mama is mad at you now. Does that mean you two won't be together, like grandma said?" Vivio then asked, alluding to the secret that she had whispered to Fate moments before.

"My mother told you that?" she asked Vivio. "She wasn't supposed to say anything!"

"Wait a minute. You were actually considering us being together, Nanoha?" Fate asked in shock.

Nanoha grabbed the counter in her hands. "Yeah, I _was_. But that was before you did this, Fate-chan. I'm not going to be some 'soldier's wife', waiting until I get the phone call that says you aren't coming home."

"Nanoha...?" Fate said helplessly as felt her world suddenly crashing down around her.

"I can't, Fate-chan," Nanoha whispered. "I just can't."

"But there isn't anything I can do about it now!" Fate cried as she pointed to the papers on the counter.

Nanoha began to walk out of the kitchen. "I guess you should have thought about that before you enlisted then," she seethed as she passed by Fate and walked into her bedroom. She shut the door loudly behind her, leaving Fate alone with Vivio for the rest of the evening.

_~/End Flashback~_

* * *

**oOOOo**

Einhart was studying for a chemistry test when she finally heard the key slide into the deadbolt around ten o'clock that evening. She closed her textbook slowly as she waited for Vivio to enter into the apartment.

"Hey," she said as she closed the door behind her.

"Hello, Vivio," Einhart replied. "I'm glad to see you made it home safe."

"Yep. Here I am."

Einhart stood up from the dining room table and crossed into the living room. "Would you like to continue our discussion from earlier?" she asked.

Vivio sat down on the couch and leaned back onto the cushion. She then placed the backs of her clasped hands over her eyes. "What's to talk about?"

"Well, I would like to hear your opinion on the situation," Einhart said as she sat down on the couch beside her.

"I shouldn't have to tell you how I feel about it. You should already know."

"I want to know which part of it you are against, Vivio? What makes you think it would be the same as your mother and Fate's situation?"

"It doesn't have to do with just them," she replied. "You have no idea what it is like to worry about someone all the time. Worrying constantly that they could be killed at any moment, and all you can do is just sit around at home and wait."

"It's hard for me to argue with your reason for not wanting me to join," Einhart told her. Vivio removed her hands from eyes in surprise.

"It is?" she asked.

"Yes. But it would not be the only factor in my decision of whether I did or not," she then informed her.

"How come you never mentioned this before, Einhart?" Vivio asked in frustration. "You have never once told me you had thought about something like this!"

"It was not something I had considered seriously before today. But when I was watching the news this morning after you told me about Fate being deployed again, I started to change my mind."

"But how would that make you want to go?! It's so dangerous over there!" Vivio shouted.

"Because that was our embassy that was attacked," Einhart replied. "And there is nothing wrong with me wanting to defend my country."

Vivio groaned. "It's not that simply, though. It's all politics. They send troops over there to be killed and they don't even care about them."

"Is that how Fate feels about it?" Einhart countered.

The comment was met with an angry glare. "That's not fair to use her like that in this discussion."

"It is, when she does something I feel I may want to do as well."

"I can't talk about this anymore," Vivio said and stood up from the couch. "You know how I feel about it. But I can tell you now, if you decide to enlist I can't be with you in a relationship anymore."

Einhart was stunned by Vivio's harsh declaration. "You can't possibly mean that?" she asked quietly.

"It's not an option for me. I've already gone through this enough in my life." Vivio exited the living room and entered the bedroom. She shut the door behind her, leaving Einhart alone with her thoughts for the rest of the evening in the other room.

Einhart eventually joined Vivio in the bedroom that night, and for the first time since they had been together they kept their distance in the bed as they slept.

* * *

**oOOOo**

_~Jordan, Present Day~_

"Ahhh, there's just more desert here!" Ginga yelled in frustration as her newly formed squadron exited the cargo plane.

"What the hell else were you expecting?" Teana growled from behind her.

"It's all the same to me," Fate mentioned. "It doesn't really matter where we are. Just as long as we are somewhere."

Subaru grinned. "But we were just home? Wouldn't you rather that 'somewhere' be there?"

"Don't mind Fate. She is just pretending to be upset about something that happened before we left," Ginga mocked.

Fate shook her head as she retrieved her assault rifle. "Don't say that. I'm not regretting what happened. But it doesn't change anything between us, either."

"Teana, maybe you can tell her that life is too short to be worried about what someone did in the past to not give them a chance?" Ginga requested.

Teana frowned in response. "Actually, I think someone's actions are indicative of - "

"Never mind!" Ginga interrupted. "That doesn't help at all. What about you, Subaru?"

"After everything we go through here, it would be nice to think someone would be waiting at home for me," she shrugged.

"It's not fair to them, though," Fate responded. "It's selfish to expect that from them. To put them through this."

"Except when they offer to do it, knowing full well what they are getting into," Ginga countered.

Fate groaned in frustration. "Can we just talk about something else?"

"Yes, how about your jobs here?" a gruff voice came from behind them. The four immediately stood up straighter as their new lieutenant addressed them and the rest of their squad.

"Yes, sir!" Teana said.

"At ease. Don't try to get me killed out here right off the bat by answering like that," the lieutenant said. "I just found out that we are patrolling a portion of the border between here and Syria. There has been a lot of talk about militants acting as refugees who are crossing over into Jordan. There isn't much we can do about that, except try to screen what we can."

"How developed is the area we are patrolling?" Fate then asked.

"Hardly at all," he replied. "There are no paved roads, nor consistent phone lines. And the mail service here is spotty at best."

Ginga sunk her head in disappointment. "So much for keeping in touch with our loved ones back home, huh?"

"You got that right," he confirmed. "Of course, you all are going to be too busy trying to stay alive to be worried about it anyway."

Fate suddenly felt uneasy when she realized her option to stay contact with Nanoha had just been ripped away from her. As much as she had tried to pretend that she wasn't interested in being with her, it had been the only thing on her mind from the moment she had left her bedroom. Now she had to add in the worry that Nanoha might change her mind when she didn't contact her, possibly assuming that Fate had given up on them completely.

"Get your equipment ready. We head out soon," the lieutenant added before walking away from the group.

"Looks like you don't have to worry about whether you are going to contact Nanoha or not, huh?" Ginga then said. Fate knew her friend was trying to make a light-hearted joke, but the disappointment that she couldn't contact her girlfriend at home either was apparent in her voice.

"Yep, I guess I'm off the hook," Fate tried to reply non-nonchalantly.

* * *

**A/N:** Just a tidbit on my own personal background, I went to military school in high school and for part of college. I had considered joining the military myself, but DADT was still around at the time and played a factor in the decision. I also dabbled in MMA for a few months a while back, but found I'm not a very good fighter whatsoever. Well anyway, until next time! ~Nissanity~


	10. Chapter 10 - What Lies Behind Us

**A/N: **To** SapphoSensei**, I think your estimation of their rank as sergeant would be accurate. My father served for four years in the Air Force and made it to airman first class. My step-father was in for 18 years and retired as a master sergeant in the Air Force as well. This story is based on service in the Army of course, although I never come out and say the branch directly in the story. And to **FateKitty**, DADT stands for the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that ended in 2011.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******SURRENDER REFLEX**

**by : ~Nissanity~**

******Chapter 10 – ****__****What Lies Behind and Before Us**

* * *

Vivio groaned in frustration at the sight of her character being killed for the countless time that afternoon. The game on her portable system immediately promoted her to hit the 'X' button if she wished to play again. She heard the key slide into the deadbolt of the apartment beside her, and she opted to continue the game again.

"I'm surprised to see you home today?" Einhart said as she entered into the apartment and closed the door behind her.

"Yep. I took a day off from practice," she replied, her eyes never leaving the screen in her hands.

Einhart sat down beside her on the couch and peered over her shoulder. "That looks graphic."

"It's one of my favorite games. I just got the sequel to the first one today."

"So, you decided to miss practice again? This is the third time in two weeks," Einhart mentioned.

Vivio's eyes momentarily left the screen, but she then continued to play the game. "I just wasn't feeling it."

"Well, why not?"

The game was finally paused. "Does it really matter all that much?" she replied as she placed the device on the coffee table.

Einhart tried to maintain her patience. "I suppose that is for you to decide, isn't it?" she replied.

Vivio only remained silent in response to Einhart's line of questioning. She wasn't ready to tell her that Signum had actually told her to go home and not come back to practice again until she figured things out. She claimed Vivio's head wasn't in the right place, and all she was going to do was end up getting hurt.

"Vivio... We need to talk," Einhart announced after a moment.

"Well, here we go," Vivio said as she leaned back on the couch. "Nothing good ever follows those words. It always ends with one person being destroyed."

"I'm not saying this to hurt you."

"But you're breaking up with me. Of course it's going to hurt."

"Breaking up with...?" Einhart said in confusion. "That's not what I wanted to talk to you about. I don't want to break up with you."

"You don't want to break up with me?"

Einhart frowned. "Of course not. Why would you think that?"

"Because every breakup talk starts like that!" Vivio replied and threw her hands up in the air a little. She and Einhart stared at each other steadily for several seconds. Vivio finally raised her eyebrows expectantly at her.

"So, what do you want to talk about then?" she asked.

"I wanted to tell you that I made a decision."

Vivio looked away and began playing with a loose thread on her shirt. "And?"

"When this semester is over at school, I will be enlisting. They have already reserved a spot for me in basic training in January."

Vivio squeezed her eyes shut and gnashed her teeth. "I can't believe you don't even care about what happens to us," she said quietly.

Einhart shook her head. "I am doing this _for_ us, Vivio. For our future."

"What future?!" Vivio replied as her head flew up to look at her. "I already told you, I can't -"

"I'm hoping you will just listen to me before you make any decisions like that?" Einhart said, interrupting her before she could repeat the threat she had made several times over the past few weeks.

"Go ahead," Vivio relented.

"I can't afford school and this apartment on student loans like this," she told her. "Well I could, technically. But the price to pay back the loans later is too much to burden us with. I did not fully realize what I was getting into when I first took them out."

"So work at the same time then? A lot of people do it."

"Any job I would get at this point would not be worth it for the pay. And I would have to drop out of MMA completely. At least with this option, I still have a chance to do that too, and take care of us both in the future. Plus, they will pay for my college tuition completely."

"Do you not understand that this is how they trick you?" Vivio responded. "They make you think all these wonderful things can happen for you! But in the end, you're just some fucking pawn they can use in their stupid wars over there."

"Why don't you tell me a better option then, Vivio? Since you seem to know all the answers apparently?" Einhart took a deep breath in frustration after her outburst. She had rehearsed the conversation in her mind repeatedly, but she found it to be quickly dissolving into yet another fight between the two.

"Are you really prepared to die over money, Einhart?" Vivio asked vehemently.

Einhart met her stare intently. "I am prepared to take the risk if it means something better for us later."

"Look, I'll get a better job. Hell, I'll even get two jobs! Or I won't go to college yet and we will put you through it first. I don't care, Einhart. Please, just don't do this."

"Vivio, you know I would never say yes to that," she replied. "You have your own goals, and you need to pursue them too."

"But at your sacrifice?! How am I supposed to accept something like that?" Vivio finally shook her head angrily and stood up from the couch. She began to cross in front of it, but Einhart grabbed her by the hand and pulled her down before she could pass. She ended up sitting between Einhart's legs on the edge of the couch, while strong arms wrapped around her waist to keep her in place.

"Vivio, you are the most important person to me in the world," she said softly behind her, bringing her chin to rest on her shoulder. "You know that, right?"

Vivio remained rigid. "I can't do this, Einhart. I love you too much to see you put in danger. I would ruin me. It would ruin us."

Einhart squeezed her tighter. "Can you please just think about this a little more before you decide you want to leave me over it?"

"How long do I have?" she asked.

"About a month. I have to sign up for something called The Delayed Enlistment program by then, or I will lose the spot they have slated for me in basic training. They are already doing more than they normally would as it is."

Vivio shook her head at the thought of Einhart leaving. "And if I do decide I can't handle this?" she ventured.

"Then there's nothing I can do to stop you," Einhart replied. "I will respect your decision. But, I don't want us to fight anymore about this, okay?"

"Okay, no more fighting," she agreed as she relaxed a little in her girlfriend's embrace. She then looked over her shoulder at her. "But you do realize what you would be missing out on if you did this, right?"

"What do you mean?" Einhart loosed her arms around Vivio's waist when she turned around to face her.

"Well, what I'm saying is - - There are some things here that you can't have if you get sent somewhere else, you know?"

"Vivio..." Einhart looked away, now slightly embarrassed, and Vivio grinned at the sight of her girlfriend's blush. She quickly pushed her down to lay on the couch and moved her legs to position her in the middle of it. Einhart raised up on her elbows in surprise, but Vivio was on top of her and kissing her neck before she could protest.

"I'm being serious," Vivio said between touches. "If you're away from me, this would be gone too."

"Manipulating me won't work, Vivio," Einhart warned as she watched her begin to pull up her shirt to expose her stomach.

"I'm only being fair," Vivio replied as she moved downward. "You want me to change my mind. I should have a chance to try to change yours, too."

"But if this is your idea of negotia – Ahn!" Einhart suddenly exclaimed when Vivio moved a hand up to find her breast under her shirt. She jerked a little when Vivio squeezed it and rolled her nipple in her fingertips, and Einhart soon found it difficult to breath normally.

"Well I could just stop, if you only want to talk instead?" Vivio then teased as she ran her tongue around her navel.

Einhart tangled a hand through Vivio's hair as she squeezed her thighs tightly around her, locking her in her place. She wordlessly traced her hands along her shoulders and back. She then lifted Vivio's shirt to touch the soft, smooth skin over her well-toned muscles.

Vivio bit her lip and moaned a little at the feel of the gentle massaging. She eventually moved up her body to hover over Einhart, who still had her legs bent at Vivio's waist. She slowly brought herself down to rest between them, eliciting a small gasp from the girl below her.

A protest soon appeared to be coming regarding the attempts to sway her, but Vivio opted to capture her lips instead before she could. Her breath soon became ragged against Vivio's insistent mouth. When Einhart sunk her fingernails into the back of her upper arms, Vivio pulled away from her.

"I like the way that feels. You should do it some more," she coaxed. Einhart's eyes danced questioningly, but her fingers clenched harder at the request. Vivio shuddered at the feel of her nails now dragging down her arm and deeper into her skin. She moved an arm away and grabbed one of Einhart's hands in hers. She guided it to her breast, and groaned when she felt the pain of her tight grasp around it a second later.

Vivio pressed her lips hard to Einhart's mouth again. "Oh god..." she whimpered against it with parted lips when Einhart pinched and twisted her nipple harshly. She felt a new rush of intense sensation when Einhart slid her other hand into her hair and pulled her head back sharply.

"Ahhh!" Vivio cried when her head was pulled down farther, and Einhart reached up to suck on her neck. When she felt teeth graze and then bite into her skin, she gripped the back couch cushion in exhilaration. The mixture of pleasure and pain caused her body to become rigid in anticipation.

Einhart rolled them off of the couch and onto the floor with her on top. She shoved the coffee table out of the way with one arm, then returned her full attention to the woman beneath her. Vivio writhed impatiently, and Einhart used her knees to push her legs farther apart, all while keeping her hands busy removing her shirt and bra.

When Vivio moved her attention to begin unfastening Einhart's belt, she wrapped her hands around Vivio's wrists before she could. Her arms were forcefully pinned to the floor by her sides before she could react.

"Keep them there," Einhart instructed. She tried once to move her hand to the back of Einhart's head, but it was grabbed and slammed back into place as a warning.

Working her way down, she trailed her tongue along a collarbone and through the valley between her breasts. She maneuvered her hand down into Vivio's track pants at the same time, whose back arched and hips raised to reach for it earnestly.

Einhart pressed her lips against Vivio's one last time. She then pushed her head back and away with her hand grasped on her throat below her chin. She captured the peak of her breast in her teeth and bit down hard while entering inside of her without hesitation.

Vivio held on as long as she could before bringing her hands up from where they had been told to remain. Her palms covered the loud moans coming from her mouth while she ground against Einhart's hand. Her body rocked in rhythm to her thrusts, and Einhart pushed in even harder. The carpet stung and burned her bare back as she jerked across it's rough surface.

She would have screamed had Einhart not squeezed her hand around her throat several seconds before she hit the edge, blocking all sounds and breaths from exiting her body. The action compounded her release, sending her into a new realm of pleasure she had never experienced before in her life.

Einhart swayed above, but was captured before she could come down herself. Vivio reared up and shoved her to lean against the base of the couch. A forearm across her chest held her in place, while the other hand ripped at clothing and buttons to expose her body to her. Einhart's hands slapped and gripped where she could, often driving her nails into the skin in front of her again. Vivio stroked her finger against her nerves a few times before plunging deep them inside.

"Vivio..." Einhart muttered hoarsely, gasping a shuddered breath as soon as Vivio started pulling and pushing in her.

Her plea was met with more forceful motions, and Vivio groaned when her arm muscles began to burn from the exertion against the tight walls. She kissed her to muffle both of their cries, and Einhart seized and lost herself completely in her lips and tongue. Her hips soon clenched with the wave of pleasure taking her past her limit.

"One more," Vivio insisted. Einhart clasped her head and pulled her away to meet her eyes. Every movement brought her closer again, and soon it was too much to hold back.

"Oh, god Vivio," she shuddered. Her body shook as the tremors of ecstasy came stronger the second time around. First one, and then another, each more intense than the last.

Vivio collapsed on her in exhaustion during the aftermath, and neither knew how long they laid together in that state . Einhart was the first to move a trembling hand to the back of her head.

"Is that what make-up sex is supposed to be like?" her shaky voice asked as she clumsily stroked her hair.

Vivio shook her head slowly. "I don't know what that was," she replied.

"I don't want to lose this between us, Vivio. Please?" Einhart embraced her tighter, as if to hold on to their relationship as hard as she could.

"I know," Vivio replied. "Just give me a little more time to figure things out."

**oOOOo**

Vivio fidgeted nervously in the booth of the coffee shop the day following Einhart's declaration. She was now waiting for her other party to arrive, who had just called to tell her she would be there shortly. She and Einhart had come to an agreement to not discuss her enlistment in the military to avoid any more fights, and so that Vivio could come to a decision without feeling any pressure from her.

Vivio wanted discuss the situation with the one person she believed could give her the best insight now that she knew Einhart's decision for sure. She was currently lost in thought and ripping apart a paper napkin when she heard someone approach her table.

"Sorry I'm late," a voice said from beside her.

"Hey, Hayate," Vivio smiled in response when she looked up from the table. She then stood up and gave the woman a hug before sitting back down on the seat.

"Traffic was horrible," Hayate added as she down across from her.

"I'm sorry. I do appreciate you coming," Vivio said. "I really wanted to talk to you about a few things."

"I hope you don't mind, but Nanoha filled me in on what happened after I left the tournament a few weeks ago."

Vivio waved her hand. "That's fine. I haven't told my mother yet, but Einhart has decided to enlist after all. She will be going to basic training in January."

Hayate leaned back in the booth. "I see..." was her only response. The waitress approached the table, and the two women ordered straight black coffees.

"Can I ask you a few questions about Fate, and about her joining the military?" Vivio tentatively asked after the waitress had left.

"Of course," Hayate replied. "Well, I'll tell you whatever I know, that is."

"Why did she do it? Like, what were her reasons?"

"Her reasons?" Hayate repeated. "She never told you before herself?"

Vivio shrugged. "She would only tell me that she did what she thought was best at the time."

"Well, that certainly is the truth," Hayate replied. "Let me ask this first - - why do you want to know now? Does it have something to do with Einhart and her decision?"

"Yeah. Einhart said she is doing it to give us a better future. But it almost feels like she is just making this huge sacrifice, just so that I can pursue my own dreams. I tried to tell her there were other options, like me working while she goes to school. But she won't even consider it."

"Wow!" Hayate responded in slight disbelief. "Just... wow."

Vivio frowned. "What is it?"

"I'm just amazed. Do you know how lucky you are, Vivio?"

"What do you mean?"

The waitress came back with the coffees, and Hayate waited until she had left completely before continuing the conversation. "What I mean is, you have two incredible women willing to do anything, including risking their own lives, just to give you everything they possibly can."

"So Fate joining the military was because of me, too?" Vivio asked as she ran her thumb around the rim of her cup and stared at blankly. A feeling of guilt was beginning to overcome her.

"Well, I suppose I can tell you what exactly happened back then," Hayate replied. "I wasn't supposed to tell Nanoha, but she never said I couldn't tell you."

Vivio sat up in her seat and waited to hear the story, but Hayate paused first and eyed her from across the table. "I want you to promise me something, Vivio. Before I tell you what happened."

"What's that?"

"I want you to always remember what others have sacrificed for you. And that you should always consider what your obligation is to them in return. It is your responsibility to make sure that what they did, or are willing to do for you, is not done in vain."

"I never asked them to do any of it, though," Vivio countered.

"It doesn't matter," Hayate said. "You still owe it to them to do everything in your power to honor their efforts."

Vivio took a deep breath as the words sunk in. She finally nodded seriously and readjusted in her seat. "Okay. Please tell me why Fate joined exactly."

**oOOOo**

_~Flashback, 10 years prior~_

"Thanks for the beer, Fate. Long time no see, by the way," Hayate said playfully.

"Yeah, yeah," Fate replied as she nodded and took a sip of her own beer at her favorite local establishment. "I'm just glad you could come meet me so soon. I wanted to talk about the decision I made in your office yesterday."

Hayate set her beer down on the bar behind her. "What's up?" she asked.

"I was looking into the enlistment program that I signed up for. You didn't tell me there was a way to get out of it if I wanted to."

Hayate laughed. "Ah, you got me! But what kind of recruiter would I be if I told you that, right?"

Fate stared at her directly. "Well, I want out," she said seriously.

"Oh, yeah?" Hayate replied casually. "What changed from yesterday?"

"Just... something," was Fate's quiet reply. Hayate noticed a blush now peppering her friend's cheeks, and she waited patiently for her to tell her the real reason.

"I had a chance to be with Nanoha, but when she found I enlisted she said it wasn't possible anymore," she finally informed her.

Hayate leaned back on the bar and grabbed her beer again. "Well, that would be enough to change anyone's mind, I guess."

"I'm sorry, Hayate."

"Fate... Do you remember why you came into my office and signed up in the first place?" Hayate then asked after a moment.

"Yes," she responded. "It was because I saw how much Nanoha's student loans were going to cost her later. And that I didn't want to make it worse by adding my own to it."

"And...?" Hayate pressed.

Fate looked down and sighed heavily. "And because Vivio would have medical benefits now and a more secure future if I just enlisted instead. Nanoha can't give her that much right now, with her being in school and all."

"That's right," Hayate gently confirmed. "Look, this is me speaking as your friend, and not as some stupid recruiter. You need to really think this through carefully, and make the best decision for everyone involved. A decision you can sleep with at night."

"Hmmm..." Fate narrowed her eyes at her friend.

"What?"

"I think you are still being a recruiter right now," she said.

Hayate chuckled. "Yep, you got me again!" she said with a wink.

The two sat in silence as they looked across the room and watched the other bar patrons for a while. Fate contemplated what a relationship with Nanoha could possibly be like. The two had danced around each other for ages, starting even in their childhood and while growing up together. And when Nanoha had decided to adopt Vivio, and Fate offered to help raise her as well, it only brought the two of them closer. There was only one final line to cross, which neither had dared to do so far, despite Fate bringing up the subject a few times. She then considered all the different variables of raising a child, including trips to the doctor and enrolling them school, and even creating a college fund for them.

Fate soon nodded to herself and finished her beer, signaling she had made her final decision. "I know what I need to do, Hayate," she said.

"That's good," she replied. "I will help you with whatever it is you decide to do, no matter what."

"Okay. It's important that you don't tell Nanoha that I still have a chance to get out. She would just try to change my mind, and that wouldn't be right. Can you promise me you won't tell her?"

"Okay, Fate. I won't," Hayate confirmed. "So, what _are_ you going to do...?"

_~/End Flashback~_

* * *

**oOOOo**

_~Jordan, Present Day~_

"_...going to do, Fate?_"

Fate snapped out of her daze. "Huh? What was that?"

Ginga smiled next to her in the backseat of the humvee. "I asked what you were going to do about the whole Nanoha thing?"

"You're still wondering about that?!" Fate responded in disbelief. "It's been weeks since we left."

"It's not like I have anything else to occupy my mind with out here!" Ginga countered.

"How about the fact that we are out searching for things that could explode right now?" Teana asked from the driver's seat. The group was currently passing through the streets of the small village they were assigned to, having just received a tip that there could be bombs planted on a road on the outskirts of town.

"I'm pretty curious also," Subaru added with a grin from the front passenger seat.

"Oh, so now you too?" Fate responded. "Your sister is teaching you bad habits, Subaru."

"We just want you to be happy, Fate," Ginga said. "I've known you for a long time. And I don't care what you say, you should be with her now. Who gives a shit about the past?"

"It's not even about that anymore, though. You weren't there when I got the call that night saying I was being sent over here. Nanoha looked heartbroken. Devastated, even. I can't do that to her anymore."

"You think I didn't get the same look that night, too?" Ginga replied. "But my girlfriend is still going to wait for me to come back. And if she is willing to do that, then I'm not going to say no to her. She is an adult, and she can decide what she can and can't handle."

Fate looked out the window of the humvee. "You know," she began after a moment, "I really had no idea what I was getting into when I enlisted."

"Well, none of us did," Teana injected from the driver's seat.

"Do you regret it?" Subaru asked, now turned around fully to face the backseat. Ginga turned to face Fate as well, who was now contemplating the question seriously.

"No," Fate finally replied as she shook her head. "I think I made the best decision I could have at the time. In the end, it was worth it."

Ginga put a reassuring hand above her friend's knee. "It's time to let the past go now. Give yourself a chance in the future. A future with her."

"What if she gives up on me though, since I can't contact her from here?"

Fate observed Ginga dig through the pockets of her fatigues, and she eventually handed her a few wrinkled papers and a half pencil from one of them. "I'm doing whatever it takes to try to reach home. You should too."

The girls remained silent as they drove, while Fate hurriedly wrote the first things that came to her mind about Nanoha waiting back home for her. It only took five minutes for her to finish writing everything down. She decided not to censor anything in it, and upon rereading the letter she knew she could never actually mail it off with what she had confessed in it. She placed it in the inner pocket of her jacket to throw away when she had a chance.

"Do you feel better now?" Ginga asked as she was handed her pencil back.

"I think I do," she replied. "Now, let's just focus on not getting ourselves blown up, shall we?"

* * *

**A/N:** I'll admit, sometimes I stress myself out when I'm writing this story. See you soon ~Nissanity~


	11. Chapter 11 - A Light Emerges

**A/N: **Getting close to the end

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******SURRENDER REFLEX**

**by : ~Nissanity~**

******Chapter 11 – ****__****A Light Emerges**

* * *

"_...this just in from Washington today. Congressional leaders have opted _**_not_**_ to send combat troops into Syria, despite the attack on the embassy last month that killed 36 people, including a U.S. Diplomat and..._"

Nanoha set the knife down on the cutting board when she heard the news report from the other room. She quickly grabbed a towel from the counter to dry her hands while she walked into the living room from the kitchen. There had been intense debates and ugly political battles for weeks regarding what role the Syrian government had with the attack on the embassy, and how the U.S. should respond if there was evidence of their involvement.

"_...troop deployment in Jordan will be scaled back significantly, although some will still remain in the country to provide support to their government's security forces. The threat of the spillover of war into..._"

Nanoha's heart sank at hearing the statement that some troops would be remaining in the country, knowing that Fate would most likely have to stay there to help after the other troops left. It would not be the first time she would have had to train and arm foreign soldiers after a mission, so that they could begin to defend their own country themselves.

When Nanoha heard the deadbolt on the front door suddenly unlock, she grabbed the remote from the coffee table and immediately shut off the television. Vivio knocked twice before entering through the front door.

"Hey, Mama," Vivio called out as she walked through the hallway and into the living room. When she found her mother standing in silence with the remote still in her hand, she gave her a puzzled look. "What are you doing?"

Nanoha tossed the remote on the couch. "I was just making dinner. The T.V. was starting to annoy me, so I came in to turn it off."

"Oh okay. Dinner smells good, by the way," Vivio mentioned.

"Thank you. I just finished making the tomato sauce," she replied. She looked past Vivio and was surprised to see her alone. "Where's Einhart?" she asked.

"She'll be here soon. She had class until six thirty tonight."

Nanoha turned to walk back into the kitchen. "Will you help me finish cooking, if you would? I still need to cut some of the vegetables for the salad."

Vivio followed her mother into the kitchen and took over the tasks at the cutting board, while Nanoha began to layer different ingredients together to make up main course. Vivio glanced over to see that she was preparing her favorite dish.

"Vegan lasagna, huh?" she guessed.

Nanoha nodded. "Yep. It's a special occasion, seeing that Einhart has made her decision about the military."

Vivio slowly set the knife down on the counter. "I don't think it's something that we should be celebrating," she replied quietly.

"I understand how you feel, Vivio. You know I do. But she made her decision, and all you can do is support her as best as you can."

"I still haven't decided if I can handle being with her if she does this or not," Vivio informed her.

"Is that so?" Nanoha replied casually. She glanced over her shoulder to look at her daughter, who was now staring blankly at the half-cut cucumber in front of her.

"Yeah," Vivio said. "It doesn't seem right that I should have to suffer through this all over again."

"Hmmm... Well, I'm sure you are fully aware of the similarities between my situation and yours regarding this issue?"

Vivio clenched her fists. "Of course I am. I'm not an idiot."

"I'll admit, there is one difference, though," Nanoha continued.

"And what's that?"

"You're a lot stronger than I am, Vivio. You always have been."

Nanoha continued to make the dish as Vivio stared at her mother's back in disbelief. "What does that mean?" she finally asked.

"Well, for example, you are still considering being with her, right? I wasn't even brave enough to do that back when Fate-chan first enlisted. All I could think about was myself, and how her possibly being sent away was going to affect me. Only a weak and selfish person would do something like that."

"Yeah, but... It's different between that situation and this one. I don't think I'm being selfish here," Vivio stated. "She hasn't officially signed up yet, and she knows I'll still be with her if she doesn't do this."

Nanoha finally turned around to face her daughter. "So, your love and commitment to her is conditional then?" she implied as she leaned against the counter and crossed her arms.

Vivio's face fell a little. "That did sound really shitty, didn't it?"

"Yes, it did," Nanoha agreed. "From the sounds of it, she is doing this for you and your future together. She is willing to risk everything for you, and you aren't recognizing how special that is to have. You are willing to throw it all away as if it means nothing at all, just because it might be difficult for a while."

"You really think she means nothing to me?" Vivio said through gritted teeth.

"I don't know? You tell me," she replied.

"But she could die over there! Where would that leave me, huh?"

"And what's your other option? To not be with her? Ten years full of regrets and 'what ifs'? If you really think leaving her over this is somehow going to clear your conscious and help you sleep at night, then you're in for a rude awakening, Vivio."

Nanoha turned her back again to the counter and finished preparing the dish in front of her in silence, allowing Vivio to consider everything that had been said. She finished the final layer and placed the dish in the oven with a bang. She set the timer, and then turned to look at her daughter again with her hand on her hip.

"So, what's it going to be?" she finally asked. "I'd like to know before Einhart arrives, if possible."

Vivio was surprised by her mother's sudden request, but then nodded seriously. "You're right," she replied. "I should be committed to her, if she is willing to do so much for us. I don't want to lose her, even if it is going to suck for a while at first."

Nanoha laughed a little and approached her daughter to give her a quick hug. "That's what I wanted to hear, Vivio. I'm proud of you." She then pushed her away. "Now, please help set the table before she gets here."

Vivio took the stack of plates and silverware and entered into the next room to set the table. As she placed each of the settings, she considered how she would tell Einhart of her decision. She already knew it wouldn't be all warm feelings and smiles when she told her. She recognized some damage may have been done in their relationship with her initial reluctance, and that it may take some time to repair Einhart's trust in her.

When Einhart knocked on the front door, Vivio was surprised to see her mother intercept her first to let her in. "Hello, Einhart," she heard her mother say from the dining room. "I'm glad you could make. Dinner will be ready soon. Come help me bring the salad and appetizer to the table, please?"

"Y-Yes, ma'am," Einhart stammered at Nanoha's unexpected request for assistance as she entered into the home.

Vivio smiled at Einhart as they crossed through the dining room. "Hey," she greeted. "I'm glad you're here, I wanted to - "

"Just a minute, Vivio," Nanoha interrupted. "Let's sit down to dinner first, okay?"

"Sure?" Vivio answered skeptically. Her mother's sudden change in demeanor seemed suspicious, but she knew it was best just to go along with it for the time being until she revealed what she was up to. After a few trips back and forth to the kitchen, the three sat down at the table and began portioning out the salad.

"So, Vivio tells me that you made your decision, Einhart?" Nanoha began as she passed her the salad bowl. Vivio's eyes immediately questioned her mother's intentions with bringing up the tense subject right off the bat.

Einhart glanced over at Vivio nervously. "Yes, I have. I will be going to basic training in January."

"Oh, so you decided not to go to college first?" she then asked.

"Yes, that's true. I can't afford the cost of the apartment and paying for tuition with student loans like this. It would be too difficult to pay them back in the future."

"I do understand that," Nanoha replied. "I actually did that myself. I took out a lot of loans. It took years to pay it back, and it was very expensive."

"Mama, can we not talk about - " Vivio began.

"I'm just curious, though," Nanoha continued, ignoring Vivio's protest. "Is money now the only reason for your decision to join the military?"

Einhart shook her head. "No. I still feel an obligation to serve as well. That hasn't changed from when we spoke a few weeks ago."

Nanoha leaned her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand. "Have you considered still going to college first instead, so that you could possibly be an officer from the start? It might take away some of the risk that Vivio is worried about with you enlisting now?"

"It would be an option, of course. I don't see how it would be possible, though."

"I was just thinking if you didn't have to worry about paying for things like an apartment and other bills, then maybe it would be possible?"

Vivio and Einhart turned to look at each other in confusion. "What are you talking about, Mama?" Vivio asked as she turned back to face her mother.

"Well, you two could always move in here instead and both go to college first?" Nanoha suggested. "Vivio already has a college fund set up for her, so her tuition is covered. And I'm sure she would be more than willing to help you pay for your tuition costs with her job, Einhart. That way you wouldn't have to rely on student loans so much."

"Wait, you're saying we should move in here? Both of us?" Vivio asked in disbelief and pointed between the two of them.

"I am. I would be a challenge for you both to work and go to school on top of MMA, but I'm sure it would be doable."

"I couldn't ask something like that of Vivio, though," Einhart said.

"What?! What do you mean, you couldn't ask that of me?" Vivio cried. "It's nothing! It's so much better than what you are planning to do now."

"But we couldn't live here without paying rent or contributing to the bills, Vivio. It wouldn't be right."

"Einhart?" Nanoha began gently. "I wouldn't have offered this solution if I wanted anything like that. The only thing I expect in return is both of your commitments to get through college."

Vivio looked at Einhart earnestly. "Why couldn't we do this instead? What's so wrong with doing it this way?" she pleaded.

Einhart continued her reluctance and opted to stare at the table in front of her silently while she considered the proposal. Nanoha removed her napkin from her lap and placed it beside her plate.

"If you'll excuse me, I'll need to check on the lasagna," she said politely. She stood up and exited into the the kitchen so the two could to discuss the situation in privacy. Einhart finally looked up to Vivio with a conflicted expression.

"How could I burden you with something like this, Vivio?" she asked.

Vivio shook her head. "It's not a burden. It's just money. Please, Einhart? Let me show you that I would do anything to give us the best future together, too."

"Including moving back in here?" Einhart countered. "With everything that has happened in this house with you? I don't want you to have to be in pain living here every day because of me."

Vivio paused for a moment, realizing now that aspect had never crossed her mind after her mother's suggestion. She glanced around at the dining room, and then leaned back in her chair to consider her past life in the house. Even though she knew a lot of negative things had happened between those walls, the happy memories were soon all that were coming to her mind. She smiled to herself when she thought of the last time Fate was home, when they watched cartoons together and ate take-out like the family she remembered, long before it had all changed.

"What is it?" Einhart asked after a few moments.

"I don't know," Vivio replied. "I guess, it must not be that much of an issue anymore. The bad stuff doesn't seem to bother me as much. Almost like, it was another life at this point."

"I see..."

Vivio reached over and grabbed her hand. "It's up to you, Einhart. Really. I'm not going to force you to do this, okay?

"And what if I say no?" Einhart ventured. "Would it be over between us then? It is this option or nothing at all?"

Vivio took a deep breath. "No," she replied. "Even if you decide to go through with enlisting after all, I'll still want to be with you. I'm committed to you, no matter what."

"You mean that?!" Einhart said in surprise.

"Yeah, I do," Vivio smiled. "I promise. And I just hope that someday you can forgive me for being so selfish before?"

Einhart nodded and wrapped her arms around Vivio's shoulders. "It's okay. Maybe we both were."

"I hope this isn't a bad time?" Nanoha asked as she reentered the dining room with the lasagna and noticed the two embracing.

"No," Einhart replied and pulled away. "We were finished discussing your proposal."

Nanoha sat down in her chair and placed her napkin in her lap again. "I want you both to know I'm not expecting any sort of answer right away."

"We'll do it," Einhart quickly responded. Nanoha and Vivio both looked over at her in surprise with her declaration. "We will stay here and go through school first. Thank you for doing this for us."

Nanoha tried to hide her shock at the decisive answer. "Well, it's my pleasure," she replied. "It'll be nice to have - "

Nanoha's response was interrupted when Vivio suddenly stood up from her chair and walked in front of the table towards her mother. She bent over and quickly threw her arms around her shoulders to hug her. Nanoha was initially shocked and sat rigid in her chair, but when Vivio began to unexpectedly cry into her shoulder, she held her in return as best as she could.

"It's okay, Vivio," she said softly while patting her head to try to calm her down.

"Sorry," Vivio responded after a moment and pulled away. She wiped the tears away from her eyes with her sleeve in embarrassment, but she was also smiling. "I'm just... thank you."

Nanoha stood up from her chair and pulled her daughter towards her again. A new wave of tears came from both as they held each other for several minutes. Einhart looked on at the two affectionately from her seat at the table, knowing an embrace like that had not been shared between the two women for quite some time.

"Okay," Nanoha nodded as she pulled away and looked at her daughter directly. "Let's just figure out how we are going to get you two here. Does that sound like a plan?"

Vivio nodded. "Um-hmm. It will be really good to be home again, Mama."

* * *

**oOOOo**

_~Jordan, Present Day~_

"Look at this place..." Ginga muttered in disbelief as she stared across the crater in the middle of the small town. They were standing at the edge of where the town market had been just minutes prior. An IED had ripped it all apart, leaving it in nothing but ruins.

"We were just here, too..." Subaru added, her voice shaking as she gripped the stock of her rifle tighter. The company began to walk around the devastated area looking for survivors and other bombs that may still be planted in the area, while citizens of the town screamed and cried and searched for missing loved ones.

"Spread out and listen for anyone still buried in the rubble," Fate instructed. "And watch your step. If you see anything suspicious, report it right away."

Ginga turned her back to the scene and leaned in closer to Fate. "No one could have survived this if they were in the market at the time," she mentioned quietly.

"I know," she replied. "But we owe it to the people here to at least try."

The team split up to comb through the scene. They all took careful steps to make sure they didn't fall while walking across the broken concrete and wooden boards of what used to be the vendor stands. Fate heard someone using a fire extinguisher in the distance at one point.

Her search was interrupted when she felt an insistent tug come on the arm of her fatigue jacket. She instinctively turned her weapon to point it at the person responsible, but was met with a hysterical woman about her age. She was gesturing at the rubble and pleading with her in Arabic.

"I don't...I don't understand," Fate replied, trying to signal that she didn't know the language by grabbing her ear. The woman continued to talk to her frantically, and Teana soon joined Fate to assist her.

"What is she saying?" Fate asked her.

"Hang on..." Teana replied as she listened in closer. She began nodding the more the woman spoke. "She says that her daughter worked here at the market. She can't find her."

Fate bit her bottom lip and looked around at the rubble at their feet. Ginga soon came over when she noticed the commotion while the lady still spoke to Teana.

"What is it?" Ginga asked Fate.

"She's missing her daughter," she replied solemnly. She noticed the woman was continually pointing down at the same spot, and she assumed that is the location where her daughter had worked. She said something else to Teana, and then pointed at Fate earnestly.

"She says that her daughter was seventeen. That she was a good girl, and to please help her find her. She said, you look like a mother too, Fate. That you would understand."

Fate stumbled backwards a few steps at the woman's statement. "B-But there's nothing I can do?" she responded helplessly. The woman gave a few more pleas to the soldiers and then began to sift through the rubble again. Ginga and Fate began helping the woman move some of the concrete chunks when they heard several of the company's humvees start up by the road.

"What's going on?" Ginga asked nervously as they watched a few turn around and start to drive away up the road. The company commander was now walking towards their group, and Subaru ran to join them as well as he approached.

"Orders just came in for us to leave," he informed them. "It looks like they are sending almost everyone home. Harlaown, Nakajimas, get in the humvee and get back to base camp for your next orders."

"What?! Just like that?" Ginga replied in disbelief.

"Lanster," he continued. "You're staying here. They still need a translator."

"Yes, sir," she responded automatically.

Fate looked back at the woman who was still searching for her missing daughter. "They still need us out here, though?" she said.

"It's not our problem anymore," he replied and began to walk away from them.

"Permission to stay behind with Specialist Lanster here, sir?" Subaru suddenly called out.

The commander turned around to face them but continued walking backwards. "Take it up with your new company leader. He will be here shortly." He gave a final wave and turned back to inform the rest of the troops of the development in the area.

"Subaru...?" Ginga questioned her sister in disbelief.

"I can't leave Teana, Ginga. She's my partner. We are always together," she told her.

Ginga groaned and pulled her into a quick hug. "God damnit! I can't believe this is happening. Okay, please be safe. We have to go though. Come on, Fate!" She began running to the humvee, but turned around and immediately stopped when she saw Fate not moving from Teana's side.

"I'm staying too," Fate told her. "I can't leave them here like this."

Ginga quickly jogged back to her and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her away from Teana and Subaru. "What the fuck are you talking about? We aren't staying here, Fate."

Fate pulled her arm away. "Yes, I am. The job isn't done here. Look!" She pointed over to the woman sifting through the rubble, but Ginga refused to turn her eyes to look at her.

"So what? Like staying here is going to bring her daughter back?" she asked heatedly. "She's dead! And we have orders to leave. Now let's go!"

"You're just going to leave your own sister behind, Ginga?!" Fate yelled.

"What I do is none of your business! Right now, all that matters is you coming with me so that we can go home. You have your own daughter to be with, remember?"

"These people still need us here, though!"

Ginga stepped in close to Fate. "And your family needs you more," she said quietly. "Don't think I won't hesitate to shoot you in the fucking leg to make you leave. I have no problem blaming one of these people standing around here and saying that they did it."

"That's ridiculous! You wouldn't - " She immediately stopped talking when she heard Ginga remove her pistol from her holster, and then pressed it against her inner thigh.

"I'm not joking. Now, let's _go_." Fate looked back once more at the woman, who was now weeping in resignation and grief over her daughter's death. She then grabbed her rifle from the ground angrily and began walking towards the humvee with Ginga following close behind her. She entered into the passenger side and slammed the door shut, and Ginga entered into driver's side and quickly started the vehicle.

The two rode in silence as they drove away from the bomb sight and passed through the streets of the city. Occasionally, a citizen would beat on the windows or hood of the vehicle if they drove by slow enough. When they were stopped at a red light, Fate looked over to the driver's side at her friend.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Yeah. Me, too," Ginga replied. "I just couldn't let you get wrapped up in the moment and make a bad decision like that."

Fate looked out the window and waved at a kid on the street. "Would you really have shot me in the leg?" she asked.

"Probably. I doubt I would have gotten away with it, though."

Ginga smiled at her, and Fate only laughed and rolled her eyes in response. The two remained silent as they drove through the rest of the small town they were about to leave behind for the last time.

**oOOOo**

"Echo company, you're up!" shouted the officer in charge of dividing the soldiers into their designated helicopters. Ginga and Fate grabbed their green canvas duffel bags to load them into the cargo area.

"How long until we get home, you think?!" Ginga shouted above the sound of the helicopter blades.

"A couple of days?! Maybe a week?!" Fate answered.

The two sat down in the interior of the helicopter and strapped in to their seats. They were soon joined by four more soldiers, and once they had settled in as well, the helicopter began to lift off.

"Think anything has changed since we've been gone for a month?" Ginga then asked.

"Knowing my family...? Probably everything," Fate grinned.

"Your 'family'? Does that mean you're going home for sure now?"

Fate paused to look out the window. "Yep," she finally confirmed. "I really am going home."

* * *

**A/N:** I had considered many possible ways to get Fate home, and I realized it wouldn't seem realistic if something terribly tragic happened to her. So I opted for her to have to choose to go home instead (with Ginga's assistance, of course.) But I always wanted it to be Nanoha helping Vivio not repeat her own mistakes, and to ultimately save her from having to go through the same things in life she did with Fate. Well, one more chapter with Fate's homecoming and Vivio's own plan for her future ~Nissanity~


	12. Chapter 12 - Where I Belong (Part 1)

**A/N: **This story will be concluding with a two-part update. The second half of this will be released very soon after this one. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******SURRENDER REFLEX**

**by : ~Nissanity~**

******Chapter 12 – ****__****To The Place Where I Belong (Part 1)**

* * *

"You're moving slow as hell today, Vivio!" Vita taunted. "Don't ever take a week off from training again!"

Vivio panted hard. "You guys... made me...do that," she replied.

"You did it to yourself," Signum said. "Now you know the consequences for screwing up."

Vita continued to push Vivio during her cardio exercises until her muscles shook and she felt like she was going to vomit. And when she finally did, Vita let her stop for the day.

Vivio sat down on a bench after she had left the bathroom, now trying to wash the taste out of her mouth with her water bottle. She was sitting with her eyes closed and her head against the wall when she heard someone enter the gym through the front door. She opened one eye and spotted two women she had never seen before come inside, one with an expensive camera hanging around her neck. Signum walked over to them quickly and shook their hands in the middle of the room. Vivio remained disinterested until she noticed who had followed them in shortly after.

"How did the shoot go?" Signum asked.

"Oh, great!" one of the women replied. "Sieg was very professional. We got some great pictures for the promo." Sieg glanced across the room and noticed Vivio on the bench. She then turned her back towards her, pretending as if she hadn't seen her.

"We were hoping to get a few shots of the gym she trains at now," the other woman told Signum. "It always is nice to have the full background on the fighters we sponsor."

Vivio stood up from the bench to retrieve her gym bag from underneath after hearing the woman's statement. She placed her water bottle in the mesh pocket and began to walk towards the gym exit.

"Vivio!" Signum suddenly yelled out.

Vivio stopped in her tracks and closed her eyes. "Yes?" she replied with her back still towards the group.

"Stick around for a few minutes! We may need you."

Vivio let her gym bag fall off her shoulder and hit the floor. "Okay!" she replied. She slid the bag out of the doorway and went to sit behind the counter at the front, which was her normal spot during her work shifts.

Vita came beside her and pushed her off of the stool. "Thanks," Vita grumbled as she sat down.

"So, what's up with Sieg?" Vivio attempted to ask casually.

"What do you think? She has someone interested in sponsoring her."

"Hmmm... Well, good for her, I guess."

Vita looked at Vivio as if she didn't recognize her. "Not quite what I was expecting to hear from you, but okay."

Vivio shrugged. "What? She is a good fighter. I'm glad she came back from her injury like that."

"Shit..." Vita growled as she looked her up and down. "I must have pushed you too hard today after all. You've lost your mind."

"Yeah, right," Vivio replied as she picked out a well-worn magazine from behind the counter. She was thumbing through it aimlessly when Signum finally came to find behind the counter.

"I need you for a minute in the ring," she told her. "Bring your sparring gear."

"Let's see how mature you are now, huh?" Vita teased.

Vivio chose to ignore the comment and did as Signum asked, although facing her ex-_whatever_ was not something was really looking forward to. She knew declining in front of the sponsor scouts was a worse option though, and could cause some embarrassment for the gym. She decided the best thing to do was to just be done with it as soon as possible.

"You guys are just going to trade some light jabs," Signum instructed when the two fighters were geared up. "No grappling or kicks."

"This should be _very_ interesting," one of the women mentioned as Vivio and Sieg entered the ring. Vivio glanced skeptically at the scout after her odd comment about a simple sparring match. She then turned her attention to face Sieg in the middle.

"How's it going, slut?" Sieg said with a fake grin when they touched gloves.

Vivio said nothing in response to the insult and backed away, focusing instead on getting into her defensive stance. She studied Sieg across the ring to see how her previously broken ankle might affect her performance. Although Sieg tried not to favor it, she was moving differently than the way Vivio remembered from before.

"Go!" Signum announced. The woman with the camera began taking pictures as Sieg and Vivio took jabs at each other. Vivio dodged most of Sieg's attempts and landed quite a few of hers instead. She aimed mostly for the side of Sieg's head, to avoid causing any injuries to her face that was still exposed under her headgear.

"I think we got what we needed," the woman without the camera said after a few moments.

"You're lucky we had to hold back today," Sieg muttered once the sponsors had turned to speak with Signum again.

Vivio's eyes flashed in anger as she turned back around. "Just because I'm holding back today doesn't mean I won't beat your fucking ass some other time, you piece of shit," she whispered loud enough for only Sieg to hear.

Sieg was momentarily taken aback by Vivio's sudden outburst and demeanor change. Before she could respond, Vivio was out of the ring and headed back up front. "Thank you for session, Sieg!" she then said politely with a wave.

Vivio was zipping up her gym bag on the bench when she heard an expected voice speak from behind her. "Vivio Takamachi, correct?"

"Huh?" she replied as she turned around to face the scout with the camera. "Yes, that's me?"

"I thought so," the woman replied. "My name is Shari, from Riot Force? I don't know if you have heard of us?"

Vivio picked up her gym bag and placed it over her shoulder. "Yes, of course. I'm glad Sieg has a chance to be sponsored by you. She deserves it."

"I've seen footage from the tournament, by the way. That was a cheap shot your opponent did. I hope she was banned for it. You were going to win that match, I'm sure."

"Thank you," Vivio replied as she looked at the ground. "But Einhart Stratos really deserved to win the championship, don't you think?"

Shari smiled. "That may be true, yes. We tried to contact her a few times, actually."

"I know her personally. Would you like me to tell her anything for you?"

"No, that's okay," she replied. "She told us she is pursuing a military career, and we respect that. But here, Vivio. Please take my card. We have trouble sponsoring a fighter who thinks it's appropriate to call her opponent a 'slut' when they touch gloves. We may have to consider other options."

Shari gave a quick wink before walking away towards Signum and the other scout again. Vivio held the business card in between her fingers as she read it, and then placed it in the pocket of her gym bag. She jogged through the front exit of the gym to return to her apartment to begin packing, and to tell Einhart of her experience at the gym that day.

**oOOOo**

Hayate rapped her knuckles on Nanoha's open office door before stepping inside. "Nanoha? Is this a good time?" she asked.

Nanoha smiled and pushed her keyboard away as she stood up from her desk. "It's fine. I was just working on the training schedule for the new recruits. I was making a few modifications."

Hayate nodded and sat down, while Nanoha took a seat on the couch across from her. "So, did you hear the news?" Hayate asked.

"About the Syrian crisis? Yes, I heard about it the other night. Any idea when our guys are coming home?"

"No," Hayate replied and shook her head. "Since everything has happened so quickly, I think they are still scrambling to figure out what's going on. There isn't a lot of details yet. I do know that some of Fate's company had to stay behind to help train members of Jordan's military, though."

Nanoha only nodded and looked away to the couch she was sitting on. She had been hoping that Hayate was there to tell her that Fate was on her way back, however unlikely that scenario would have been. Nanoha resigned herself that the likelihood of her coming back anytime soon was now slim to none at this point.

It was not uncommon for Fate to volunteer to remain behind for as long as she felt she needed to while the other troops left. It was "in order to help innocent people caught up in something that wasn't their fault", as she put it. It had caused a lot of tension and rifts between the two over the years, when Nanoha felt that Fate was willing to choose complete strangers over coming home to be with her own daughter.

"Have you spoken to Fate at all since she left?" Hayate then asked.

"Nope," she replied. "I haven't had any contact with her. No calls, no letters. Nothing. Why do you ask?"

Hayate smiled. "Just being a nosy friend, maybe? Does it concern you that she hasn't?"

"Of course it does!" Nanoha admitted with a laugh. "But there really isn't anything I can do about it, you know? Except keep waiting. That was my promise to her."

"So you aren't going to give up on her? No matter what happens?"

"What is with all these questions? Seriously, what is it that you know, Hayate?"

"Look, Nanoha," she sighed. "I honestly don't know if Fate is coming back or not right now. But I do know that whichever troops do come back are already slated to return to Afghanistan in a month for another rotation. I don't even know for how long it would be for, either."

Nanoha breathed deeply while she fidgeted with her hands. "So basically you're telling me that the most Fate-chan would have here is a month? If she were to come back at all at this point?"

"I'm sorry," Hayate replied. "I just wanted to give you all the information I knew myself. That way you could prepare yourself as much as possible."

"Okay." Nanoha allowed a few tears to be shed, which she wiped away quickly. She then laughed a little to herself. "It's so stupid. Somehow, I thought this would all magically change, maybe. She would come home this time, and we could just be together finally without having to go through this anymore."

"She _has_ been stationed overseas for quite some time," Hayate agreed. "So much so, that maybe it's time she is reassigned to a more permanent position here on the base instead?"

Nanoha's eyes instantly shot over to her friend. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm going to offer her a chance to not have to be deployed anymore. I'll have to pull a few strings of course, but I think it will be possible."

"I see..." Nanoha replied. "And you're bringing this up to me now, so that I won't be shocked if you propose it and she ends up turning down the offer?"

"Yes," she responded. "But maybe you will be able to convince her to stay whenever you have the chance again?"

Nanoha contemplated how she would go about doing that, if she were to at all. It was still up in the air whether Fate even wanted to be with her, let alone whether she would consider such a huge life-changing career move as well. The Fate she knew now was a solider, having been changed by all the sights and horrors she had experienced over the past ten years. Readjustment to a 'normal' life away from that usually took a toll on any person going through it.

"I'll think about what is best to do on my end for her," Nanoha finally decided.

"Sounds good. By the way, you have the next month off, just in case she does come back," Hayate mentioned casually.

"What?!" Nanoha shouted in response. "Are you kidding me? I have too much shit to do here! The new recruits start next week."

"That's not your problem now. I've already found a replacement for you," she added. She quickly stood up and began to walk towards the office door.

Nanoha flew across the room and grabbed her friend by the shoulder. "Hey! You know that Fate-chan probably isn't going to be back this time around. I'll have wasted a whole month by not working!"

Hayate rolled her eyes. "Jeez, I'm sure there is _something_ you could be focused on outside of work. You need to take a vacation"

"You know what, Hayate? You're right, actually. There _is_ something important I could be doing. I think I'll be needing your help with it, in fact."

"Crap! How did I get roped into whatever this is, all of a sudden?"

Nanoha patted her on the back. "What else are friends for, right?" she grinned.

**oOOOo**

"Ahh, this box weighs a ton!" Vivio complained as she picked up the large container from the living room floor. "What the hell is in it?"

"I don't know. You packed it," Einhart answered. She pulled back one of the top flaps to look inside. "You put all the books in one box?"

Vivio shrugged. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Hayate pressed her hands against her lower back and stretched her stomach forward. "Why did I volunteer to help you guys move again?" she groaned.

"Because I needed a second driver for the moving van," Nanoha said as she packed some kitchen plates in a box. "And because you love us."

"Both correct statements." Hayate was about to pick up one of the couch cushions from the floor when her cellphone rang. She answered it and stepped away into the now empty bedroom to take the call.

"Do you need help carrying that box, Vivio?" her mother asked when she saw her lean it up against a wall to open the front door.

"I'll help her," Einhart offered. The two each held a side of the box and began the slow decent down the stairs to the rented moving van below.

Nanoha noticed Hayate quickly exit the bedroom and rush out the front door a few moments after she had taken the phone call. When she did not return inside as she had expected, Nanoha's curiosity got the best of her. She set the newspaper down that she was using to wrap the plates and opened the front door to walk outside. She immediately found the three women all huddled together on the balcony, speaking in hushed voices.

"What are you guys doing?" Nanoha asked suspiciously.

"AH!" Hayate screamed and turned around, while Vivio hid something behind her back. "Nanoha! You scared me."

"If you weren't keeping secrets, that wouldn't have happened," she countered.

Vivio laughed. "Secrets? That's funny, Mama."

"Einhart, what were you guys talking about?" she then asked, knowing she would get a straight answer from her.

She quickly looked to the ground. "We were discussing where we wanted to go for lunch."

"Oh?" Nanoha replied in surprise. "Well, why didn't you say something before? We can just eat when we get back to the house?"

"No!" Hayate responded. "No, that would be too much work. Let's just go out to eat instead?"

"Yeah, I guess that's okay?" Nanoha replied. "We can just finish up here - "

"Nope, we're hungry now!" Vivio replied and grabbed her mother's hand. Nanoha had to hold onto the railing to keep her balance as she was pulled down the stairs at a hurried pace. Einhart retrieved her keys from inside and locked the apartment door as fast as she could. Vivio quickly slide the cargo door down on the van and secured it with a padlock.

"I'll drive!" Hayate said enthusiastically. "I know a great place."

Nanoha entered into the passenger seat beside Hayate while Vivio climbed into the backseat behind her. Einhart was the last one to enter in the car behind the driver's seat.

"I have no idea what's going on, but I know something's up," Nanoha stated as they started driving away from the apartment. "Einhart?"

"Vivio might have a sponsorship?" she mentioned to change the subject.

Nanoha turned around in her seat completely to face her daughter. "Are you kidding me, Vivio?! Why didn't you tell me before?"

"It just happened a few days ago, Mama. And it's no big deal. They were scouting Sieg, and I just happened to be there. It probably won't go anywhere, honestly."

"Well, that's not an acceptable answer. I want to know more," she demanded.

Vivio did her best to draw out the story to keep her mother's attention as they drove. She described everything from throwing up during the cardio workout, which her mother said she really didn't need to know, to Signum asking her to be Sieg's sparring partner. She also told her what Sieg said that may have gotten her disqualified for the sponsorship, and how the woman ended up giving her a business card instead.

"I never like that Sieg girl anyway," Nanoha commented as she turned back around in her seat. Vivio took the opportunity to grab the blindfold from her back pocket she had hidden there earlier. She placed it over her mother's eyes while Einhart leaned over the console to hold her arms down.

"What the hell, you guys?!" Nanoha shouted as she squirmed in the seat. "What are you doing?"

"We're kidnapping you!" Hayate cheerfully responded beside her. "Einhart isn't going to let go of your arms until you promise you won't take off the blindfold."

Nanoha stopped moving and sat still in the seat. "I knew you guys were up to something. Is this even necessary, though?" she asked impatiently.

"You have to trust us, Mama," Vivio said. "We wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't worth it."

"Alright," Nanoha relented. "But if this is something dumb, I'm going to be angry."

Einhart released her arms and returned to her seat again. Nanoha sat with her arms and legs crossed, silently pouting in darkness as the three around her chatted casually about where would be a good place to eat. She didn't believe their conversation was genuine in the slightest, but she had to admit she was impressed that they would go to so much trouble just to surprise her.

After many turns and stops, the car finally came to a rest. Hayate turned off the car as Vivio exited and opened up her mother's door. "Alright, Mama, I'll guide you. Just listen to my voice," she instructed as she helped her out of the car.

"It would probably be easier if you just gave her a piggy-back ride, Vivio," Hayate joked.

"That's actually not a bad idea," Einhart mentioned.

"Come on, Mama! Hop on!" Vivio said happily after she had hunched over in front of her mother.

"This is so absurd!" Nanoha moaned, but she complied and jumped up on her daughter's back. "We probably look ridiculous."

"Who cares what other people think?" Hayate said as they walked to their destination.

Nanoha heard the sound of an automatic door opening and was greeted with a blast of cool air when they entered inside a building. She heard lots of people chatting around them as they walked by, with their voices loudly echoing all around.

"We're going to go up an escalator now," Vivio said after a minute. "I'm going to set you down, okay Mama?"

"Don't let me fall," Nanoha requested. She gingerly placed her feet onto one of the steps as she got off from her daughter's back. She heard Hayate's cellphone ring again, and Nanoha listened intently to her end of the conversation for clues.

"Um-hmm... yep... right now... okay, good," she quipped. She then hung up the phone.

"Get ready to step forward, Mama. And... now!" Vivio instructed. Nanoha stepped clumsily off the escalator and felt Vivio begin to pull her forward. She walked as best as she could, concentrating completely on not falling over and hoping not to trip on anything. They finally stopped walking, and Nanoha felt Vivio move to stand behind her.

"Ready, Mama?" she asked. Nanoha nodded and the blindfold was removed. The initial brightness overwhelmed her vision and she had to place her hand above her eyes to shield the sunlight. When her eyesight finally was restored, she first spotted Ginga on the other side of the long airport walkway. She was pulling someone behind her, who looked confused as to why she was being yanked around.

"Fate... chan...?" Nanoha whispered when she finally recognized her across the large area.

Fate soon spotted familiar sapphire-eyes staring widely at her. "Nanoha?!" she cried in disbelief.

The two walked a few steps at first, but they soon found themselves sprinting as fast as they could to close the distance between them. Fate held her arms out wide and Nanoha crashed into her, completely coming off the ground as Fate supported her around the waist. Nanoha buried her head in her shoulder and whimpered and sobbed muffled cries, feeling as if she were unable to hold onto Fate tight enough.

"Fate...chan..." she cried repeatedly into her fatigue jacket.

Fate buried herself in Nanoha's neck. "I take it you didn't give up on me, then?" Fate mentioned quietly.

Nanoha pulled her head back to face her. "Of course not! It hasn't been that long. Have some faith in me, damnit!"

Fate laughed and hugged her close again. She eventually dropped to her knees with Nanoha still clinging on to her tightly. Hayate and Vivio cried a little as they watched the happy pair engrossed in their own little world. Ginga was leaned back against a nearby wall, watching her friend finally look happy and content in this world.

Nanoha finally pulled way from Fate and sat back to face her directly. "So now what, Fate-chan?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, where do we go from here?"

Fate laughed a little. "Where do we go from here?" she repeated. "I was hoping we could just go home?"

Nanoha bit her bottom lip. "Home?" she ventured.

"Well..." Fate began as she looked around, "unless you just want to stay at the airport forever?"

"Are you _really_ coming home, Fate-chan?" Nanoha asked with a completely serious expression on her face.

Fate decided it was best not to joke around anymore. "Yes, Nanoha. I'm really coming home," she confirmed.

Nanoha tackled Fate once more, knocking her hat off her head as the they toppled all the way to the ground. They were both laughing to themselves as they continually held each other. Vivio finally came to stand over them with her hands on her hips.

"Well, I haven't seen something like this in a long time," she said affectionately. "But you two have to get up now. People are having to walk around you at this point."

Nanoha pretend to pout. "_Tsk._ I guess, Vivio," she sulked. Vivio helped her mother to her feet first, while Einhart reached a hand down to assist Fate next. Ginga came to stand next to her friend and gave her a quick hug.

"I'm glad that you are going home now, Fate."

"Thanks, Ginga. For everything," she replied. "Do you need a ride home yourself?"

Ginga pulled away and shook her head. "Nope. I'm waiting for my happy reunion here. Now go on. I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about."

"Thank you again," Fate said as she hugged her once more. "I'll call you soon."

As Fate's group was making their way downstairs, they noticed Nove and Ginga's girlfriend now running up the escalator beside them. Once they had reached the top, a happy scream was heard all across the airport. Fate caught a glimpse of Ginga embracing her girlfriend excitedly, before losing sight of them on the way down to the lower level.

Once they reached the base of the escalator, Hayate pointed to the exit that lead outside of the airport. "You guys should get a taxi. We will pick up Fate's luggage and meet you back at the house later."

Nanoha frowned. "Are you sure about that, Hayate?"

"Of course! There's not enough room in your car with all five of us anyway."

Fate handed Hayate the ticket to reclaim her bag. "You'll need this," she told her. They all exchange quick hugs, and the three left towards another section of the airport where the baggage claim was located.

"Are you ready, Fate-chan?" Nanoha asked.

"Yep," Fate replied as they started a path to towards the exit. She took Nanoha's hand in hers shortly after they had started walking. "I'm really glad to be back, Nanoha."

"Me, too Fate-chan," Nanoha agreed and smiled up at her. "Me, too."

* * *

**A/N:** One more update follows this one. See you there!


	13. Chapter 13 - Where I Belong (Part 2)

**A/N: Please make sure that you have read Part 1 (Chapter 12) of this update before you read this chapter.** It would be pretty confusing if you didn't. Okay, see you at the end!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******SURRENDER REFLEX**

**by : ~Nissanity~**

******Chapter 13 – ****__****To The Place Where I Belong (Part 2)**

* * *

**(continued from Chapter 12)**

"Did you want to take a shower, Fate-chan?" Nanoha asked once she and Fate had returned home. She was making a pot of coffee while Fate was leaned back against the kitchen counter, watching her.

"I would love one more than anything," she replied. "Is that alright with you?"

Nanoha giggled. "Of course. I'll make us some lunch while you are in there. You can leave your uniform in your room, by the way. I'll wash it for you."

"That would be great. Do you know if I still have any of my clothes here, by chance?"

"Yeah, I came across some not too long ago. They're in your dresser drawer," Nanoha replied.

"Sounds good. I'll be out shortly, okay?"

Nanoha hummed in agreement and turned the coffee pot on as Fate exited the kitchen. She stared at the counter for a moment, now weighing the concept of Fate being back in their home as if she had never left. There had been a bit of awkwardness and tension between the two when they had ridden back in the taxi together, not really knowing how to act around each other just yet. They both knew there were issues that needed to be addressed between them, but the back of a cab didn't seem to be the appropriate venue for the discussion.

Nanoha opted instead to talk about Vivio and Einhart and their life changes, although she omitted the fact that they were moving in as well. She wanted that to be a surprise for Fate, and one she wanted Vivio to tell her herself.

Once Nanoha heard the water running and the shower curtain slide back, she climbed the stairs to the upper floor. She opened Fate's bedroom door slowly and spotted her uniform sitting in a pile on the floor. She then glanced over and noticed her boots sitting by the doorway as usual. She smiled as she recalled the countless time she had been greeted by the sight, signaling that Fate truly was home and safe again.

She reached down to pick up the crumpled fatigue jacket first. She unrolled the sleeves, which were currently still folded and buttoned at the elbows. She turned the jacket front to face her, and when she saw the name '_Harlaown_' on the green cloth strip, she ran her index fingertip over the raised threads to trace each letter. She quickly snapped out her daze to bend over to pick up the pants next. She immediately stopped when a folded piece of paper fell out of the inner jacket pocket.

Nanoha glanced at the bedroom door briefly and listened to ensure the shower was still running. She picked up the paper, and when she turned it over she noticed it had '_Nanoha_' written in pencil on the front. With trembling hands, she dropped Fate's jacket and inspected the folded paper carefully. She noticed the edges were frayed and starting to split apart, as if it had been folded and unfolded countless times.

She then debated whether she wanted to read what Fate had written inside or not without her permission, and soon curiosity got the best of her. She unfolded the paper twice but stopped again before she had opened it completely. She considered what to do next, and eventually chose to refolded the paper and hold it against her chest instead. She felt that it was good enough to know that Fate had been thinking of her while they had been apart, and perhaps the words inside were not as important as the action itself.

"Nanoha?" Fate called out from the doorway. Nanoha spun around, now realizing that she had lost track of time as she stood in the middle of the room. Fate looked down to see the letter pressed against her chest. She then looked back up at Nanoha's eyes with a bit of nervousness and skepticism.

"I-I didn't read it, Fate-chan," Nanoha told her as she looked down at the ground. She held the letter out in front of her for Fate to take. "I was going to, but then I decided not to."

Fate reached forward and took the letter from Nanoha's hand gently. She was still staring at the ground when Fate smiled and held it back out in front of her.

"Here, Nanoha," she said. "I think it will tell you how I feel better than I anything I could say to you."

Nanoha glanced quickly between the floor and the letter a few times, and then reached up and took it from her hand. She opened it carefully to make ensure none of the edges of the letter ripped any further. Fate sat down on the bed behind her, to allow Nanoha a chance to read it without her standing right in front of her.

"_Dear Nanoha,_

_I'm writing this letter in the back of a humvee. I'm sorry if this is hard to read, but I really wanted to tell you a few things while I had the chance. _

_I have been to hundreds of places throughout the years, and I have seen enough in them to last several lifetimes. But it wasn't until I felt your love for me, when your lips first met mine during our one night together, that I finally realized it - - the only place in the world where I truly belong is right next to you._

_I want to make the impossible become the reality between us. I want us to start over and build our life together again. I want to become what we always should have been. But most importantly, what I want most is for you to want it all with me, too._

_I miss you. I miss our family. I miss everything. And the chance that it is all waiting for me again when I return home keeps me going through the harshest of days here; just like the memories of our time already spent together guide me through the darkest of nights._

_I don't know what reality has in store for us after this. But whenever I think about it, there is one thing I always see in my future - - and that is you. _

_I love you, Nanoha. And just know that, no matter where we are out here in this world, __you__ will always be home to me._

_Love always, Fate"_

Nanoha dropped the letter on the floor and closed her eyes. She remained motionless as she felt the extent of Fate's love overwhelming her through her words. Fate soon stood from the bed and crossed the room to wrap her arms around her waist. Nanoha leaned her head back against her shoulder and let herself be held by the person she wanted most in this world, and whom she now knew felt the same way.

"I love you, Nanoha," Fate said softly from behind her. Nanoha nodded and whimpered a little when Fate drew her in closer. "I'm sorry I didn't send that letter to you before."

Nanoha shook her head. "No," she said with a shaky voice. "I think it was right where it needed to be."

Fate slowly guided Nanoha to face her, keeping her close as she spoke. "Can this be our reality, Nanoha?" she whispered.

Nanoha placed her trembling hand on her arm and traced it up to her shoulder. "I want it to be," she replied softly. She gently touched her lips to Fate's. "I want it to be more than anything."

A gentle hand slid to rest in Fate's hair as the two slowly met again to share a tender and comforting kiss, soon followed by several more. There was no urgency this time. There was only the need to express their love for each other carefully. Sincerely.

"Fate...cha..." Nanoha said softly. "I love you. I love you..."

Fate met her lips again. "I love you, too... Nanoha."

Nanoha returned with a more insistent, hungrier touch next. She leaned into Fate more as they continued to move their lips in sync. She raised her other hand to grasp her shoulder, pulling her in as close as she could. Fate moved her hand across Nanoha's back as they parted lips, beginning to share more of themselves with each other. She lifted Nanoha up a little to press and feel her body closer against hers.

A honk coming from outside the house immediately took them out of their world they had created. Nanoha pulled away from her. "Of course!" she laughed and placed her head on her shoulder. "Of course."

Fate smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "We will have more time for that later."

Nanoha grabbed her by the hand and began to lead her out of the bedroom. "That's probably true. In fact, I'm sure of it," she said and bit her bottom lip suggestively. Fate was unable to find any intelligible words to respond to the invitation as she was guided into the hallway.

The two walked down the stairs and in through the kitchen next. They reached the front door and Nanoha opened it to step outside. She and Fate were greeted by the sight of the moving van now parked at the curb in front of the house. Einhart was at the back cargo door, entering the combination into the dial of the padlock.

"Jeez, Nanoha. I come all the way back here just to find out you're moving out of your own house?" Fate said jokingly.

"God damnit, Fate-chan..." Nanoha scolded, although she was grinning as she approached the van on the street.

"I hope we weren't interrupting anything?" Hayate asked as she stepped onto the sidewalk next to Nanoha.

"Well, what do you think was happening, Hayate?" she muttered in return.

"Hey! I don't want to be hearing about that kind of stuff coming from my mother!" Vivio yelled as she came to stand beside Einhart at the rear of the van.

"I bet you four will have to come to a lot of agreements about that sort of thing," Hayate then teased. Einhart immediately dropped the padlock against the cargo door as face became completely flushed. She turned to walk away from the group, but Vivio grabbed her hand to stop her.

"Alright, that conversation is over," Vivio declared. "So Fate, I guess my mother told you about us moving in here?"

"She hadn't yet," Fate replied. "But I'm really happy we could all infiltrate her house together at the same time."

"Infiltrate...?" Nanoha repeated slowly. "Is that the proper word for this?"

Fate shrugged. "I like it."

"You know what your yard needs, Nanoha?" Hayate asked as held up her fingers like a picture frame towards the house.

"What's that?" she asked.

"A puppy."

"What?!" Nanoha cried. She tried to ignore the sight of Vivio's face brightening at the suggestion. "Why would you suggest such a thing?"

"I could see that, actually," Fate agreed as she looked across the yard as well.

"I've always wanted a puppy," Einhart added seriously.

Nanoha spun around to see four sets of eyes now staring at her earnestly. "I see...'Infiltrate' _was_ the correct word after all, it seems."

"Well, my work is done here!" Hayate said. "You guys can give me a ride home, right?"

"I don't know, Hayate. Can we?"

Hayate placed her arm around Nanoha's shoulder playfully. "You'll thank me later. I promise."

"Well, you're coming over everyday to help potty train it, just so you know."

"Does that mean we can really get one?!" Vivio beamed.

"No, I was just kidding when I said that!" Nanoha responded quickly.

Fate stretched her arms over her head. "That animal shelter is still in the same place, right?"

"No, they moved to the corner of Central and 4th Street," Einhart told her.

"Hey, we could go get lunch at that cafe around the corner beforehand?" Vivio mentioned as she opened the garage door, which housed Nanoha's spare vehicle inside.

The four women started walking to the vehicle to began climbing into it. Fate stood beside the open passenger door and looked back at Nanoha, who was now glaring at her from the walkway. "You coming, Nanoha?" she asked over the top of the car.

Nanoha shook her head and pulled her keys out of her pocket in a huff. "Alright... But I get to pick out the goddamn dog! You got that?!"

A chorus of cheers came from inside the car as Nanoha entered into the driver's seat and started the engine. They soon drove away to find another family member to add to the house that afternoon.

**oOOOo**

"God, I'm so nervous!" Vivio mentioned as she walked into the gym with her mother, Fate, and Einhart close behind her.

"I know this is really big for you, Vivio. But make sure you stay calm and professional, okay?" her mother advised.

"Yes, Mama," she replied as they entered onto the gym floor. She spotted Signum standing next to Shari, the sponsor scout from Riot Force that Vivio had met the week prior.

"Vivio!" Shari greeted when she saw her. "I'm so glad you could make it!"

Vivio shook her hand. "Thank you for coming out all this way again. This is my mother, Nanoha. Her partner, Fate. And this is Einhart Stratos."

Shari gave polite hellos to Nanoha and Fate before looking directly at Einhart. "It is really good to meet you, Einhart. We spoke on the phone before?"

"Yes, it is wonderful to meet you too," she replied politely. "Thank you for considering Vivio as someone to sponsor."

Shari waved her hand and smiled. "It's our pleasure. She has a lot of the qualities we are looking for."

"Vivio, why don't you gear up so we can get started?" Signum suggested.

"Okay. I'll be right back."

The group watched Vivio cross over to a far bench to begin putting her gear on. Nanoha stayed to speak to Shari about the bran,d and what it was exactly they had planned for her daughter. Fate took the opportunity to sit next to Einhart, who took a seat on a bench near the ring.

"So, this brand had tried to speak to you before?" Fate asked her.

Einhart nodded. "Yes. I received a few phone calls from them after the tournament. They were interested in meeting me, but I declined their offers."

Fate hummed. "Why's that, if I might ask?"

"I told them I wanted to join the military. They said they understood."

"I know you and I haven't spoken about that much yet," Fate mentioned. "I'm impressed that you are dedicated to making that your career choice."

Einhart looked to the ground and blushed a little bit. "Thank you. I, um... Honestly, you had a part in that decision," she admitted.

"I did?"

"Yes. I had not really considered serving before. But after I met you the first time and realized what it was you did exactly, I felt the desire to do it as well. I felt like it was a calling."

Fate paused as she considered the seriousness of her words. "Wow," she finally replied. "I honestly had no idea. I'm really honored."

Einhart remained silent, now unsure what to say to the woman she admired so much sitting next to her. The two watched Vivio begin to bounce around across the gym to warm up.

"You know, Einhart?" Fate finally said. "I watched you fight in the tournament when I was on leave last time. I'm concerned that you may be missing out on an opportunity that you shouldn't be."

"What do you mean?" she asked, glancing over at her.

"Well, I've been in the military for a very long time. In fact, it's hard for me to remember what life was like before it at this point. I'm very happy with my decision to join, of course."

"But...?" Einhart ventured.

"But - - there is something you need to know about why a person put themselves in danger for others. It's because we want the people we love to always have the freedom to not have to do the same thing as them."

"But that's a reason I would want to serve, too?"

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to serve your country and to protect others," Fate continued. "But personally, I know I would feel _more_ honored if you allowed yourself to do better than me. To let me see you give something to the world that most other people can't."

Einhart laughed a little. "You are just saying all this so that I won't want to join."

Fate leaned back against the wall. "Maybe so? But it doesn't make anything I say less true. You have a real gift, Einhart. And you have an obligation to everyone who fought for your freedoms to go and explore it first. Besides, the military isn't going anywhere. If it doesn't work out, you can always fall back on it later."

"Fate-chan?" Nanoha suddenly called out, gesturing to her to come speak to Shari with her.

"Just give it some thought, okay?" Fate added as she stood up. "But do know, I will support any decision you make. We all will."

Einhart watched wordlessly as Fate walked over to stand next to Nanoha. The three women were chatting casually and smiling as Vivio entered into the ring behind them. They turned their attention to her, and Shari retrieved her camera from the bench and began taking pictures of her warming up.

After a few minutes, Shari requested to speak to Signum. "Does your gym have any other fighters here that she can spar with for the photos?" she asked her.

Signum shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. Everyone is in school right now."

"Einhart could?" Vivio suggested as she leaned on the ropes. "I brought her stuff with me."

"Vivio...?" Einhart replied in disbelief.

Vivio shrugged at her. "I was just trying to be prepared is all. I hope you don't mind helping me out?"

"I think it's a great idea," Nanoha mentioned. Fate nodded in agreement, and Shari looked elated at the suggestion.

"It's all in my gym bag," Vivio added as she pointed over to it.

Einhart slowly rose from the bench with her arms crossed and walked towards the gym bag. She noted that Vivio had packed all of her equipment inside, plus two changes of workout clothes for her. She eventually turned to speak to Vivio over her shoulder.

"I'll need to borrow your hand wrap," she told her.

"No problem!" Vivio replied cheerfully.

After ten minutes in the dressing room, Einhart emerged in her full gear and entered into the ring to face off with Vivio. She did her usual warm-up exercises while Vivio danced around excitedly in front of her.

"It's almost like what should have happened at the tournament," Shari mentioned.

"Yep! Einhart can finally kick my ass once and for all!" Vivio replied. She then immediately held up her hands apologetically to Shari. "Sorry, sorry! That was an inside joke, Shari. Sorry."

"It's okay, Vivio," she replied. Nanoha rolled her eyes and groaned internally at her daughter's misstep. Fate bit her lips to hide her grin as best as she could.

"I have no idea where she gets that language from?" Fate then teased. She received an elbow to the side in response.

"Okay, get set!" Signum called out to the two fighters in the ring.

"Let's make this one count, Einhart," Vivio said as she approached the center to touch gloves with her.

"Absolutely, Vivio." Einhart smiled once more and stepped back to her side of the ring.

Signum held up her hand. "And... Go!" she shouted.

**oOOOo**

Fate smoothed the front of her fatigues and knocked lightly on her platoon commander's office door the following day. She was currently responding to a formal request she had received that morning to come speak with her at the base about the upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.

"Come in!" a voice called out.

"You wanted to speak with me, Hayate?" Fate asked as she entered into her office.

"Yes. Please shut the door and have a seat, Fate," Hayate requested from the rear counter in her office as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

Fate walked over to one of the couches in the office and sat down. She then placed her hat next to her on the cushion. "What's going on?" she asked.

Hayate sat across from her. "I'm glad you could make it in today. I know you have been busy lately, spending time with your family and all."

"Yes, the puppy has become quite the ordeal, honestly," Fate replied.

Hayate grimaced. "Sorry about that. I never thought you guys would actually go through with it."

"It's okay. Arf isn't going anywhere. She's family now," she assured her.

"Well, Fate," Hayate then began," I'm sure you are fully aware that you are going to be shipping out again in the next few weeks?"

Fate held her hands out in resignation. "Yes, unfortunately. But we all have to do what we have to do."

Hayate paused for a moment to take a sip of coffee and to readjust on the couch. "Well, I would like to make a proposition to you instead."

"Which is?"

"A full-time mechanical engineer position has opened up on the base here. I would like you to consider taking it," she said.

Fate looked at her with a perplexed expression. "I'm not trained for that sort of thing?"

"It's very basic work, honestly. The training you would go through wouldn't be all that extensive. Six weeks, tops."

Fate frowned. "You mean, I wouldn't be deployed anymore?"

"No," Hayate replied. "You have done more than enough for the country in that aspect."

Fate shook her head. "I'm sorry Hayate, but I couldn't consider leaving my company. We have been through too much together. I appreciate the offer, though."

"Is that so?" Hayate tested. "Nothing will change your mind?"

"No, nothing."

Hayate sighed, and then snapped her fingers in the air. "Ginga!" she shouted.

Fate was shocked to see the office chair, which had been facing away from them in the room, suddenly spin around to face them. "Hello, Fate!" Ginga smiled from behind the desk.

"Oh, what the fu...? You were sitting there the whole time?!" Fate cried.

"Yep," Ginga replied as she stood up. "Nanoha asked me to come here to sit in on this meeting."

"Well, that wasn't necessary. There is nothing to discuss."

Ginga sat down next to Hayate. "Oh, but I think there is though."

"You can't possible think this is something I would do to you?" Fate questioned her friend. "You and I are a team! We protect each other out there. Like hell I'm going to let you go out there alone!"

"You're right, we do protect each other. You saved my life too many times to count. But that doesn't mean we just stop saving each out there. I have to do it at home, too."

Fate lowered her head and placed her thumbs against her temples, letting her hands shield her eyes from them. "Why are you doing this, Ginga?" she said, her voice shaking.

"Because I love you, Fate," she replied. "And because my eight years are up in six months. I'm getting out of the military."

"You're not retiring from it?" Fate asked, glancing up at her friend with bloodshot eyes.

Ginga shook her head. "No. I'm not. I can't do this anymore. And if you don't take this opportunity now, you are just going to find another partner to protect after I'm gone. It will never end for you."

Fate groaned and rubbed her eyes. "But what about everyone else? Teana? Subaru? They are still out there."

"I know, Fate," Ginga replied. She then crossed to sit next to her on the couch. "It kills me inside. That's my sister, for god sakes! But they wouldn't want you go keep doing this to yourself. To keep denying yourself a normal life. You have your family back now, and it's time to take care of them first."

"But six months, Ginga? They are sending you back to Afghanistan in a few weeks, and Teana and Subaru are still in Jordan! Fuck, Ginga!" she yelled as she stood up from the couch. "I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you and I wasn't there!"

"Sit down, Fate. Please?" Ginga requested, her voice now trembling as well. "I'll get through it. I have to, okay? It's the last thing I have to do, and then I get my chance at a normal life, too. But it's no good if you don't have your life just because of me!"

Fate sat back down on the couch. "This isn't happening..." she muttered.

"Fate?" Hayate piped up. "If I can guarantee that Ginga won't be deployed for the rest of the time of her service, will you please consider this proposal?"

Ginga's eyes shot over towards her commander. "Hayate...?" she whispered.

"Are you serious, Hayate?" Fate replied. "You can do something like that for her?"

"As long as you agree to the new job, then yes. I can," Hayate replied.

Fate glanced back at Ginga, and then nodded earnestly her commander. "I can accept that. As long as Ginga won't be deployed again without me, then I will do it."

Ginga threw her arms around Fate and allowed herself to shed the tears she had been holding back through most of the conversation. "Holy fuck, Fate!" she cried. "It's over, Fate... It's seriously over!"

"Yeah," Fate responded as she held her crying friend and partner close to her. "I guess it is, huh?"

Once Ginga had recovered mostly and pulled away from Fate, Hayate stood up from the couch and walked to her office door. "You can come in," Hayate said into the hallway. "She said yes!"

Fate stood up from the couch when she saw Nanoha enter into the room, who immediately started crying as she ran over to her. She hugged her tightly and allowed Nanoha to sob uncontrollably against her shoulder.

"You said yes...?" Nanoha said repeatedly in muffled cries. "Fate-chan, you said yes, right?"

"I did, Nanoha," Fate confirmed. "Hopefully, I won't be ever be leaving you again, okay?"

"Okay," she nodded and pulled away. "Okay. Just... just don't, alright?"

Fate laughed. "Alright, I got it," she told her. Nanoha leaned forward and gave her a kiss, and then proceeded to hug her again as tight as she could.

"You two should go home and celebrate," Hayate suggested. "Fate has to start training first thing tomorrow."

Fate pulled back to look directly at Nanoha. "You wanna head home, Nanoha?" she asked.

Nanoha smiled and nodded earnestly. "Yes. Let's go home for good, Fate-chan."

* * *

**oOOOo**

**_Epilogue_**

Nanoha smiled as she watched her daughter play tug-o-war with their dog, Arf, on the floor of the living room. She had just entered the room with drinks for everyone gathered around the television.

"I don't know how that dog still has the energy to chew up all my bras with how much you play with her," she mentioned as she started distributing the beverages.

"I actually trained her do that," Fate joked.

Nanoha rolled her eyes. "That's because you never want me to wear a bra, Fate-chan."

"Damnit!" Vivio shouted and covered her ears. "We have the 'no-flirting' rule for a reason, you know? It's because you guys say shit like that all the time!"

Ginga reached to take the drink from Nanoha's right hand. She unexpectedly yanked her left hand down towards her to inspect her ring finger. "Let me see that rock again!" she said. "Damn, Fate! That could not have been cheap!"

"She insisted," Nanoha told her. "I told her she didn't have to buy such an expensive ring."

"I think the fight is starting," Einhart mentioned. All eyes in the room immediately turned towards the television.

"Ah, there she is!" Hayate said affectionately after a minute. "Vivio, you look so buff!"

"I'd hope so," Vivio replied. "Vita trained me to death before that match. I've never thrown up so much in my life."

"Vivio..." her mother warned.

"Hey, wait! Pause it really quick, Einhart," Hayate requested. She moved from the couch and stood very close to the television. She pointed to Vivio's shorts, which were form fitting and left almost nothing to the imagination.

"What is it, Hayate?" Vivio asked, now slightly embarrassed.

"How many sponsor logos can they fit on those tiny little things? One, two, - "

"There's six!" she answered. "Now stop pointing at my ass, you weirdo."

"How about you, Einhart?" Hayate then asked as she went to sit back down.

"Also six," she answered. "But my shorts are much longer than hers."

Everyone in the room laughed loudly at her response, which had actually been said in complete seriousness. Fate pulled Nanoha down into her lap on the couch so that they could enjoy their daughter's first televised fight together.

"I love you, Nanoha," Fate said quietly from behind her.

Nanoha turned her head to the side to face her wife. "I love you too, Fate-chan." She bent down to kiss her, but soon a small couch pillow hit her square in the chest and interrupted them.

Vivio turned back around in a huff. "Will you stop breaking the rules already, Mama?!" she shouted.

_**End**_

* * *

**A/N:** So that's it! I hope you enjoyed the story. I apologize if there were any major inconsistencies with how the military works versus something I wrote in the story. I was pulling a lot from my memories of military school, plus my experiences growing up in a military family throughout most of my childhood. Well, I'll see you at the other stories soon! Until then ~Nissanity~


End file.
